10/01/2026
“Priming” is a prevention strategy that prepares a student for an upcoming situation or task by telling them what to expect ahead of time. Used during contexts or times when the student typically has a hard time, priming gives students a “heads up” and clarifies task expectations and available reinforcement, increasing the likelihood of desired behavior. Priming can be used for individual students, as well as multiple students or an entire classroom.
An example of a priming strategy is the Premack Principle, aka “Grandma’s rule,” which arranges high preferred activities after completion of less preferred activities. For example, “First, do your math homework, then you can play outside.” Other common priming strategies are a job list or work system.
Priming prompts can be provided in a variety of ways, including verbal, visual, and environmental.
