Beyond the Behavior Plan: Reinforcement Schedules
Hi there! How are you? It’s so nice to see you here!
Welcome to our series here at Coffee Mugs & Clipboards called “Beyond the Behavior Plan”
This series is going to take us beyond what those documents often describe and really tell us what those supports, interventions and replacement behaviors mean.
And as always “the why.”
Our discussion this week is going to introduce us to reinforcement schedules, specifically, why do we use them, what types are there, how to use them and fade them.
If you’re curious about how often to provide reinforcement, you’ve come to the right place!
I mean, would you really keep reading this blog post if you didn’t find the content reinforcing?! Mind blowing - right?!
What are Reinforcement Schedules?
In the world of ABA, Schedules of Reinforcement are a way to describe how often a learner is receiving a type of reinforcement.
We break down reinforcement into 2 larger categories; fixed and variable (they’re described in the sections below). This tells us in even greater detail how often the learner is receiving reinforcement while working on those replacement behaviors and skills.
Why do we use Reinforcement Schedules?
To create a starting point - Where is the learner RIGHT NOW in their learning history? In order to meet success, we must know how often they need reinforcement to help with learning those specific replacement behaviors and skills. Knowing what they need will only strengthen their understanding!
To create a plan - Not only does it give a starting point, but it helps your learner’s team (family, school, clinic, community) have a solid understanding of just EXACTLY what your learner needs to meet with success RIGHT NOW.
To build in how to fade the reinforcement - Not only are we planning for now, we are planning for later to. The goal isn’t to stay in this schedule forever. We meet the learner where they are at and gradually fade (reducing the amount of reinforcement given) over time.
Introduction to Reinforcement Schedules
It can be challenging, sometimes, to figure out exactly how often our learner needs reinforcement to gain a greater understanding and stronger learning history for the skills they’re working on.
We now know after last week’s blog post just exactly what our learners like, but to just how often they need or why they need reinforcement at that rate can be a bit tricky.
Let’s break down the different types of schedules.
Like we mentioned above, there are 2 categories of reinforcement schedules: Fixed and Variable
In the coming sections, we’ll discuss exactly what they are how they can be used
Fixed
Fixed Schedules of Reinforcement let us know that there is a predetermined set amount of responses needed to occur before reinforcement can happen. This can be done in 2 ways:
Fixed Ratio
Fixed Ratio (FR) schedules of reinforcement provides reinforcement after a specific number of responses for a specific behavior occurred.
For example:
Earning a free coffee after purchasing 5 coffees.
You have a learner working on a skill and they receive reinforcement after every 2 responses. This would be a fixed ratio of 2 or FR2.
Fixed Interval
Fixed Interval (FI) schedules of reinforcement provides reinforcement after a specific amount of time passes.
For example:
Every 2 weeks you receive your paycheck from work. This would be a fixed interval of 2 weeks or FI2 weeks.
Fun Fridays at school for a class following their classroom community norms.
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
These schedules of reinforcement are often the most predictable and lead to high & steady rates of responding.
These can also create some procrastination (particularly with fixed interval) if a learner knows they will receive reinforcement after a specific amount of time and then wait until the last few moments to complete the desired response.
These schedules work best on skills the learner is being introduced to.
Variable
Variable Schedules of Reinforcement let us know that reinforcement occurs following a number of responses of time intervals that vary. This can be done in 2 ways:
Variable Ratio
Variable Ratio (VR) schedules of reinforcement provides reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses.
For example:
Social media notifications
A learner is practicing raising their hand in the classroom vs. calling out and they aren’t called on each time they raise their hand instead they are called on every 3 times then every 5 times, etc. The number of times they raise their hand before being called on will vary.
Variable Interval
Variable Interval (VI) schedules of reinforcement provides reinforcement after an unpredictable amount of time passes.
For example:
Waiting for a text message
During a math lesson, the teacher calls on students at different time intervals throughout the lesson (5 minutes, 3 minutes, 10 minutes, etc. regardless of their hands being up) to promote student engagement with the task and completing the task with them so they build understanding.
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
These schedules creates consistent behavior since the learner is unsure when reinforcement will occur.
Variable schedules of reinforcement are often the most reinforcing schedules.
These schedules work best on skills that are learned and need to be maintained.
Are we here forever?
The good news is no, you aren’t!
The first rule of thumb to remember is you need to have a plan (like I said above in “Why do we use reinforcement schedules?”) for fading.
Ways to fade Reinforcement Schedule
Start with the level of reinforcement your learner needs (if they are learning a new skill, fixed interval or fixed ratio is a great place to start)
Once the skill or behavior your learner is working on is happening frequently and often, gradually reduce how often reinforcement is happening.
This could look like going from a Fixed Ratio of 2 (FR2) to a Fixed Ratio of 5 (FR5)
If you notice your learner showing difficulty meeting that ratio or competing behaviors occurring (those behaviors your teaching replacement skills for showing up again), go back a step and provide reinforcement at a slightly greater rate.
Watch your learner’s response to the type and level of reinforcement they’re receiving. Monitoring their feedback will support your decision for how and when to fade with their best interest in mind.
I would love to support you and your family in crafting collaborative, sustainable behavior and academic supports at home through a free 15-minute Coffee Break to find out just what your cup needs.
Be sure to follow us this week on Instagram @coffeemugsandclipboards as we bring this weeks information to life!
