04/03/2023
It's a Monday, and Monday's can be tough, so let's talk about something fun: Preference Assessments. It's another one of those times that the world of ABA has made something pretty simple sound more complicated than it actually is.
While it's true that there are somewhat complicated versions of preference assessments with hierarchies and graphs, in it's most basic form, it's just offering choices. You probably do a million preference assessments every day whether you're a parent, an educator or any type of direct support staff.
Some choices are easier than others - when you're offering two great things (like tea and coffee or two preferred activities) individuals might be excited for either. Sometimes the choice might not seem to make any difference to you (like shoes vs. boots on the average day), but might make a huge difference in the response you get to the instruction "put on your shoes". Lastly, there's those choices that are both "bad" options. You might not want to do a worksheet no matter how it's presented. A preference assessment here might not save you entirely from refusal or avoidance behaviors, but there's a growing body of evidence supporting the ability to make a choice as a reinforcer in and of itself.
The bottom line is twofold-
1) when you hear preference assessment, know that most of the time it's really as simple as offering a choice
2) if you know you're about to give an instruction that could lead to some difficulty, finding ways to incorporate choice into that instruction can save you from some arguements.
Here's some other ideas for ways to offer the illusion of choice when a task is non-negotiable:
-let the individual choose the order of a task list
-let a child choose who helps them with a task
-offer a choice of colored pen/pencil for a worksheet
-give an option between seats - the floor, a table, individual desk, a specific room in the house etc.
What types of creative choices have you come up with for non-negotiable instructions?
