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Reward systems with
special needs children who have any kind of behavioral issues are an important
tool. The literature you are going to find is going to talk about finding one
that fits the student’s needs. This is
of course the most important aspect of any system, but one thing I have found
over the years that is not emphasized enough in my opinion is finding one that
fits the care givers as well. I have
gone through may a system that just didn't work because I could not follow
through with them. They did not fit into my flow and thus I did not comfortably
use them. It is important to find that balance between the children and the
caregiver.
If you
establish a reward system and find that it is not working for you because you
are having trouble keeping up with it or following through, take some time to
figure out what is it that the child is looking for from it and how can you
make it work for you? If the child is
working for stickers on a chart, but you have difficulty getting the stickers
on the chart, ask yourself how important is the actual chart? Could you just give the sticker to the child
and let them do as they please with it? Could you have a place for the stickers and
let the child go and get the stickers themselves? If the student is working for a token they
collect in a container, again could the student be responsible for getting the
tokens themselves? This of course can only be done with students you can trust
not to cheat, but you can teach this easily with consequences for most children.
There are many Apps available for tracking behavior. Trying some of these and
having a daily reward may make your life simpler if you are a tech and gadget
person. Some can be personalized to
student interests and are engaging for the children. Be willing to establish
the reward system you are starting is a trial and that if it does not work, you
will work together to find one that fits everyone involved.
Some Tracking and Reward Apps:
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