Controlling your child’s behavior can feel like an uphill battle, filled with failed negotiations and tantrums. Using a token economy can help make this process easier.

What is a Token Economy

A token economy is using tokens to reward positive behaviors, which increases the likelihood of these behaviors in the future. The tokens themselves do not have a value, but are exchanged by the child for actual rewards. The gap between receiving the token and exchanging it for the reward helps teach the child to delay gratification. This process also helps promote the behavior in a variety of settings, not just the setting where it is rewarded. Most importantly, rewarding positive behavior is far more effective than punishing negative behavior.

What to Use for Tokens

Some possibilities for items to use as tokens include:

  • Plastic coins or chips
  • Pennies
  • Checkmarks or stars on a tally sheet

The child should be able to keep track of how many tokens they’ve earned and understand how many are needed for each reward. The token also needs to be given immediately after the behavior to effectively reinforce it, so consider this when coming up with what you will use for tokens.

What to Use for Rewards

The two keys for rewards are to offer choices and make sure the rewards are desirable to the child. It can be helpful to sit down with your child and identify possible rewards in the following areas:

  • Snacks
  • Movies to Watch
  • Video Games to Play
  • Music to Listen To
  • Toys to Receive and Gain Access To
  • Indoor Activities
  • Outdoor Activities

After choosing these activities, work with your child to set a cost for each of them.

How to Begin

Start with one task (e.g., making their bed) and establish how many tokens your child will earn for this task. Make sure this amount fits with the reward costs. Once your child is consistently completing this task, you can start to add other tasks.

Reference:

Daily, C.M. (2016). The key to autism: An evidence-based workbook for assessing and treating children & adolescents. Eau Claire, WI: PESI Publishing & Media.