Reinforcement schedules

A reinforcement schedule is the rule for which times a behavior earns a reward or other reinforcer. On a continuous schedule, your child earns it every time they get it right. On an intermittent schedule, also called partial reinforcement, they earn it only some of the time. A ratio schedule rewards after a set or changing number of tries. A fixed-interval schedule rewards the first try after a set amount of time passes.

New skills often start on continuous reinforcement. Then the team thins the schedule slowly, across many sessions. The goal is a schedule families can keep up, with rewards closer to everyday life. Hagopian and colleagues warn that moving too fast can make a new skill drop out and old behavior come back. Behavior that pays off only some of the time is also harder to stop. That may be why giving in now and then can keep a challenging behavior going.

Say your child is learning to ask for help. At first, the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) might praise every ask. Later, praise comes after some asks, and getting the help becomes the main reward. The RBT follows the schedule your Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) sets. The end goal is natural rewards like praise, play or getting what your child asked for, instead of tokens or treats forever.

• The current schedule: Ask your BCBA how often each skill is being reinforced right now.
• The thinning plan: Ask how and when the team will thin reinforcement, and what would make them slow down.
• Matching it at home: Ask how you can follow the same schedule at home, and whether parent training covers it.