Positive Reinforcement in Therapy Sessions

01/26/2012

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I love seeing each of my students' faces light up when they are provided with positive reinforcement.  Their smiles are priceless and it really makes them try even harder. Think back to parents, teachers, mentors and other individuals in our lives that made us smile on those bad days through encouraging words or even a simple "Wow, you did it!".  Therefore, I think it is so important for us to continue to incorporate positive reinforcement into our sessions and life in general.  If we can find something positive to say first and then incorporate what we want our student and/or client to work on next time, then I think each individual is more receptive to what the clinician says.  Positive reinforcement can be modified for all ages.  Below are some of the themes  that I have used throughout some of my sessions:

Picture
The above picture are underwater creatures and for this session, the theme was "Swimming to Success."  They loved earning an underwater creature and naming them whenever they got to pick one.  The underwater creatures stay in the Speech room, but during their session they have a chance to earn them.  Whenever they earn a creature I provide them with some sort of feedback so they know what they did right, as well as what they can improve on.  
Picture
"Good Listeners Make Me Smile"

100 Ways to Say Very Good 
(created by Oregon State)
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/clackamas
/sites/default/files/100_Ways_to_Say_
Very_Good.pdf 

Free Positive Reinforcement Behavior Charts
http://www.rewardcharts4kids.com/behavior-charts/ 


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The students love to see 
"What is in the Bag" whenever they do their good work in Speech.  At the end of the week they get to pick something out of the bag after their therapy session.  It could be a sticker, pencil, eraser, etc.  I think they really like the surprise of picking something out of the bag and they look forward to it.
Picture
"Shining Stars"
Positive Reinforcement: A Behavior-Management Strategy by 
Julie A. Daymut, M.A., CCC-SLP
http://www.superduperinc.com/handouts/
pdf/238_PositiveReinforcement.pdf 

Free Rewards and Incentives
http://havefunteaching.com/tools/rewards-
and-incentives/ 
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Reinforcement in the Smallest Ways...Making the Biggest Difference

07/17/2011

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B.F. Skinner said it best, "The way positive reinforcement is carried out is more important than the amount."

One of the fondest memories that I have from graduate school is the impact that positive reinforcement had with one of my clients.  This child in particular loved penguins and up until I incorporated penguins into the session, I never really felt like I was getting very far with some of the therapy sessions.  I started to incorporate penguins somehow within each session whether it was receiving a penguin sticker after producing 10 sounds or if it was receiving a piece of paper with penguin letterhead printed from the computer.  Penguins made all of the difference because it helped the clinician and client to build a rapport based on the notion that the therapist took the time to incorporate an interest of the child.  To an outsider looking in, this statement may sound a little unrealistic, but sometimes it surprises me how much the dynamics of a session can change by finding something that interests the child and/or adult.  It is all in how the reinforcement is carried out because sometimes it is in the smallest ways that make the biggest difference.  Some of the pictures above are a few of the the items that I have used with children as reinforcement during some of the sessions.  
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