STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE BEHAVIOUR THAT NEEDS
TO BE CHANGED
The behaviours must be outlined clearly and everyone involved in the
programme must understand them. All instructions should be asking
people to do something in a positive way.
STEP 2: SELECT THE TOKENS AND DECIDE
WHAT THEY CAN BE EXCHANGED FOR
Decide how to give them out if they are tokens and where they should be
kept
STEP 3: MAKE SURE THAT THE TOKEN/POINTS
‘BUY’ SIGNIFICANT REWARDS.
It is important that the rewards have meaning for
the individual concerned and that they are
worthwhile. Individuals could maybe help to
make a list of what they would like. If what
the token/points aren’t significant or
rewarding enough, there will be no
motivation to perform the behaviour.
For example: Children could be rewarded with crayons to colour
in a A3 sheet of a picture they like. Once all crayons have been
collect so the picture can be completely coloured in, they can
receive their reward.
STEP 4: SET GOALS THAT ARE ACHIEVABLE
The individuals involved need to know what they have
to do to earn the tokens/points. The goals should
be achievable, but not necessarily easy. They can
be adjusted as the behaviour improves. Knowing
what is to be rewarded is not difficult if it is a
particular behaviour, but if it is a percentage
improvement then this must be clear to everyone.
STEP 5: EXPLAIN THE WHOLE PROGRAMME
It must be clear to the individuals so that they
know what the tokens are for and can
repeat the behaviour to gain more
tokens/points. If they are not clear on what
the desired behaviour or goal is, the
programme is not likely to work.
STEP 6: FEEDBACK ON PROGRESS
Individuals need feedback on how they are doing, or if they
are doing the correct thing to earn the token – they need
guidance. There can be some element of punishment,
such as a response cost - tokens are either withheld or
taken away for undesirable behaviour. It is recommended
that this only happens after a few weeks of the
programme. Response cost can also be used it part of a
goal has not been met, rather then just if undesirable
behaviour is shown.
STEP 7: PROVIDE THE REWARD
At some point the tokens/points have to be
exchanged for the reward. If no tokens/points
are gained there should be no negative
comments, the individual should simply be
informed.
STEP 8: REVIEWING
As the individual makes progress, their goal
can be reviewed & more tokens/points can
be given at this time. There should be
praise throughout the programme if there
is a positive reaction. If there is no further
progress an earlier goal can be returned to.
THE GEORGE FAMILY – NANNY 911
ABA SKILLS TRAINING: TOKEN ECONOMY
STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS:
•
•
It has been found to work
at schools; this is possibly
because the rewards are
immediate and powerful
The programme can be
aimed at individuals;
therefore, it is likely to be
successful because it will
focus on their goals and
the rewards can be tailored
around individual needs
and preferences.
WEAKNESSES:
There are practical
difficulties; for example
the programme is timeconsuming and all staff
have to work together
cohesively, which is not
easy to achieve.
• The behaviour may not
generalise to a
situation outside where
the programme is run,
which limits the
application of the
therapy.
•