Getting started with telehealth for early intervention: Learning modules
Reinforcement and making it fun!
Reinforcement is a very important part of intervention.
Reinforcement is something that is provided following a skill that your child is learning that increases your child’s use of the skill in the future.
You and your provider will likely spend time finding things that your child enjoys. This helps your child to have fun and enjoy their time in intervention, which is important. We all do our best learning when we are having fun!
The things your child enjoys will also be used to reinforce the new skills that they are learning.
Here are some examples of reinforcers, but there are many others not on this list:
Hide and seek, chasing games, making funny faces, snuggling with a family member on the couch, etc.
Animal toys play sets, trains and train tracks, toys that make sounds, buzz, or light up, etc.
Favorite books, family photo books, having a puppet read a book outloud, recorded books, etc.
Playing favorite songs, songs with actions (e.g., Head Shoulders Knees and Toes) singing into a toy microphone, watching music videos with songs online, etc.
Videos, online games, etc.
Snacks, treats, special drinks, etc. *Note, this does not include withholding food from your child, these would be “extra” kinds of things.
Activities that engage the senses, such as playing in sand table, making goo and putting hands in it, finger painting, shaker toys filled with water, glitter, and other interesting things, toys that make a vibration and/or sound, putting cotton balls in a jar and dumping it over your heads to make it “snow,” etc.
Going to the park, playing with a water table outside, going for a drive, etc.
There are all kinds of things that your child already enjoys or will enjoy once they try them. Every day aim to find new reinforcers with your child!