The Impact of Motivation and SelfEfficacy on Success in Social and
Daily Living Performance in Autistic
Adolescents & Adults
Susan J. Golubock, M.Ed., OTR/L
MakingSenseOfAutism@msn.com
October 15, 2012
AZ Assist Meeting
Autism is a Pervasive
Developmental Disorder

Autism is about connections –
not learning
◦ To learn one must be receptive to input
through the various sensory systems
◦ What is learned must be stored where that
information can be easily retrieved when needed

Why aren’t learned skills generalized?
◦ Learned skills are stored in specific areas of the
brain so may not be easy to retrieve
◦ Performance involves multiple areas of the brain
Performance vs. Skill

Skill – an ability that has been acquired
through training, or the learned capacity
to carry out pre-determined results
effectively & efficiently.

Performance - act of performing; of doing
something successfully; using knowledge
as distinguished from merely possessing it;
any recognized accomplishment.
Performance vs. Skills

Social Skills
◦ Greeting others when you see them
◦ Dialing the phone to call someone

Social Performance
◦ Inviting someone to engage in an activity with you
◦ Explaining to a service provider what you need

Daily Living Skills
◦ Shaving or brushing one’s teeth
◦ Setting or clearing the table

Daily Living Performance
◦ Cleaning the bathroom
◦ Planning and cooking a meal
Stages in Single Task Skill Acquisition

Novice – requires a lot of cognitive effort and
attention to complete a task; vulnerable to
distraction and often need prompts;
performance is slow; frequent errors.
Intermediate – more independent but still
needs a great deal of cognitive energy to
complete a task; performance is inconsistent.
 Mastery – completes tasks with little or no
cognitive energy, requiring very little attention
to the task; allows for multitasking; performance
is often errorless and fluid.

Factors That Impact on Utilization of Skills
In Order to Perform
Bellini, Scott, Building Social Relationships (2006).

Sensory Processing & Movement Differences
◦ Registration, Seeking, Sensitivities, Avoidance
◦ Tics, low tone, tense/rigid

Executive Functioning
◦ Emotional control
◦ Attention and Impulsivity
◦ Memory & Organization

Motivation & Self-Efficacy
◦ Reason for the action; that which gives purpose
◦ Belief that one is capable of performing in a certain
manner to attain certain goals.
Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy is the belief in one’s capabilities to
produce an effect on something or someone
◦ Success – results when belief is not too high or too low
◦ Attribution – perceived cause of an outcome
 Source – who caused the outcome? Self or others?
 Stability – can this outcome be expected to change?
 Controllability – can the individual directly affect the outcome?

Things that effect self-efficacy:
 Mastery experiences
 Vicarious experience (models)
 Verbal persuasion
Albert Bandura
Motivation

Motivation is being moved to do something based on
◦ The value of the expected outcome – if outcome is
expected to be of value, motivation increases, and vice versa
 Intrinsic motivation – done out of interest &/or pleasure
 Extrinsic motivation – expected reward or punishment
◦ Who you think you are which affects what you want.

For many individuals there is a discrepancy between
who they are and who they want to become…
◦ …it can be motivating
 if the person thinks they can change.
 if they can make connections between the
present and the future.
◦ …or devastating
 if the person doesn’t think they can change
 if they are too focused on the present.
Albert Bandura

Impact of Low Motivation & Self-Efficacy
on Performance
Self-care
◦ If only motivated by external rewards (does because others
reward or punish if doesn’t) likely is of little value to self
◦ If only motivated if it feels good or is valued intrinsically
(tendency to avoid what is not pleasurable/valued) what others
value is likely unimportant if doesn’t match own perception

Work/chores
◦ Lack of awareness of surroundings and internal chaos likely leads
to low motivation or value in keeping it clean/orderly
◦ If intrinsically motivated by security may become obsessive or
show a lack of flexibility/priorities in other tasks
◦ If lacks energy to perform, likely to have low self-efficacy
◦ If efforts corrected (lack of success) likely to not keep trying
◦ If attributes success to others likely to become dependent
Impact of Low Motivation & SelfEfficacy on Social Performance

Valuing Self
◦
◦
◦
◦

Self-worthlessness – doesn’t expect success in what does
Depression – isolates, avoids, unwilling to continue trying
Selfishness – focuses only on intrinsic rewards (meaningful to self)
Distrust – focuses on own security, safety (hostile world)
Valuing Social Interactions
◦ Low social recognition – performs only to avoid punishment
◦ Limited pleasure – doesn’t see value in pursuing
◦ Excess effort required to succeed – fatigues, limits contact
◦ Lacks common interests – limited curiosity about others
Increasing Motivation & Self-Efficacy

Success
◦ In real life experiences raises both motivation and self-efficacy (and
vice versa)
◦ A task that is too easy does little to raise either one
◦ Increased motivation & self-efficacy leads to harder work & more
persistence & more success (and vice versa)

Achievement requires
◦ Attitude (self-efficacy) – beliefs one holds about oneself
◦ Drive (motivation) – desire to attain a valued outcome
◦ Strategy – technique(s) used to gain desired outcome (success)
Improving Attitudes Toward Self
Avoid obsessing on the negatives (what you don’t like/want/
can’t do); identify what you do like/want and can do.
 Focus on your strengths; nurture and build on them; share
them with others
 Be patient; mastery takes time and work
 What happened in the past doesn’t predict what will happen
in the future; it depends on what you do in the present
 Pay attention to your instincts and gut feelings about what is
“right” for you
 You have choices; focus on what you want or worry about
what you don’t have; in either case that’s what you are likely
to get.

Intrinsic Sources of Motivation
(What A Person Values)
Self-interest – safety, security, well-being
 Common interest – wants to do/have what
sees others doing/possessing
 Curiosity – desire to learn, explore new skills
 Pleasure – outcome or process feels good
 Success – sense of control & mastery over
self, others, or environment
 Social recognition – desire for praise or
attention from others

What Hurts Intrinsic Motivation?
Controlling rewards
 Threats and deadlines
 Evaluation and
surveillance

Rule of thumb: If someone
else made you – it’s not
intrinsic motivation – it’s
EXTRINSIC motivation.
Albert Bandura
Motivators Based on Personality
Gregariousness: The need to be with other people
 Autonomous: The need for independence to do it your
own way
 Status: The need to be important in the eyes of others
 Inquisitiveness: The need to learn and know
 Aggression: The need to influence others/to be heard
 Power: The need for control/authority
 Recognition: The need for acknowledgment of
accomplishments/effort
 Affiliation: The need to associate with and belong to a
group
Richard Lavoie, Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned
Out Child (2007), Touchstone Books
Motivation Strategies Based on
Personality
FOSTERING INTRINSIC MOTIVATION (TASK CENTERED)
Basic
Need
1, 5
Choices Challenge Curiosity Fantasy
Flow
Options
Mastery
Explore
Imagine
Time
3, 5
2, 3, 4
2, 3, 5
4, 5
2, 4, 5
1 = Self-Interest: The need for safety, security and well-being
2 = Pleasure-seeking: The desire to do something simply because it
feels good to do it
3 = Common-Interest: The desire to have/do what sees others have or
do
4 = Satisfaction: The desire to achieve a desired outcome; to
learn/create/cause something to happen
5 = Escape: The desire to avoid or get out of something that is not
pleasant
Motivation Strategies Based on
Personality
FOSTERING EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION (EGO CENTERED)
Projects
People
Praise
Prizes
Prestige
Power
Strength
Friend
Recognition
Reward
Success
Leader
3, 6, 13
8, 12, 13
8, 11, 12,
13
7, 8, 10,
11
4, 7, 10,
11
4, 7, 9
6 = Gregariousness: The need to be with other people
7 = Autonomous: The need for independence to do it your own way
8 = Status: The need to be important in the eyes of others
9 = Inquisitiveness: The need to learn and know
10 = Aggression: The need to influence others/to be heard
11 = Power: The need for control/authority
12 = Recognition: The need for acknowledgment of
accomplishments/effort
13 = Affiliation: The need to associate with and belong to a group
General Strategies for Success
Measure progress & ultimate success against
self, not others (have the individual selfmonitor)
 Use strategies that tap into strengths, not
limitations
 Teach the 3/5 Rule to determine the need to
adapt the method or tools used to ensure
success (avoid modifying task for them!)
 Attach no value to a lack of success (Oooops!
Try again.)

General Strategies for Success
Increase intrinsic rewards (well-being, curiosity,
pleasure) to increase engagement (avoid external
rewards)
 Make sure the value attached to performance is
what individual wants (not what you want for
them)
 Reward effort, but do not reward less-than-full
effort
 Think out-loud to facilitate problem-solving
(using hindsight to improve chances of success in
the future)

When The Effort of Performing Is Too Hard

Establish a Back-up Plan
◦ List who to call to ask for help at the moment
◦ Establish Priorities: what can be put off, what
can’t
◦ List who to swap strengths with to get things
done (trading what I do well for things others
don’t; in exchange for doing things I don’t do
well, but others do)

Inform Others you need some down time to do
a sensory-motor activity that refreshes you so you
can return to the task
We Can Succeed –
With Your Support
Auditory organizers
Social skills CDs
Invisible clock
DonJohnston.com
Draft: Builder
Inspiration
Co:Writer
Read: Out Loud
Write: Out Loud
Spelling Ace & Thesaurus
Faceland
Air cushions
Aroma weights
Aroma therapy
Vibrating pen
Visual timer
Lap weights
Auditory voice
enhancer
Hand fidgets
Talking Word Processor
WordQ
SpeakQ
ClaroRead
Reading Pen
Quick Link Pen
Sonic Alert Alarm Clock
Conversation Skill II
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Resources
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Scott Bellini, Building Social Relationships, (2006), Autism Asperger
Publishing Co., www.asperger.net.
J.L. Savner, B. Smith Myles, Making Visual Supports Work in the Home
and Community: Strategies for Individuals with Autism and Asperger
Syndrome, 2002, Autism Asperger Publishing Co., www.asperger.net
J. Cooper-Kahn, L. Dietzel, Late, Lost and Unprepared: A Parents’ guide
to Helping Children with Executive Functioning (2008) Woodbine
House
E.Yack, P. Aquilla, S. Sutton, Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration
(2002) Sensory Resources, LLC
K. Dunn Buron, A 5 Is Against the Law! Social Boundaries: Straight Up!
An honest guide for teens and young adults (2007) Autism Asperger
Publishing Co.
Http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Motivation
Http://dennislearningcenter.osu.edu/all-tour/apa99paper.htm
http://iisit.org/Vol6/IISITv6p545-556Nilsen598.pdf