Great news! You are already using some behavior analytic interventions right now! Here are 5 different strategies you are most likely doing anyway – so keep up the good work!
1. Positive reinforcement: This is when you reward your child for doing something good. For example, if they finish their homework and you praise them with “great job! You are the smartest kid I know!”
2. Setting clear expectations (this is a preventative intervention): When you tell your child what the expectation is up front. An example may be, “before bedtime, we need to pick up your toys.”
3. Visual schedules: If you use pictures or even write out a list of what happening during the day (like getting dressed, eating breakfast, getting on the bus), you’re using visuals schedules!
4. Giving choices: when you offer your child choices, you are giving them some control over their decisions. Examples could be “red shirt or green one?” or “do you want to pack your lunch, or do you want me to do it?”
5. Prompting: When you give your child a little nudge or reminder by saying something like, “Don’t forget to wash your hands before dinner,” you are using this strategy.
Pat yourself on the back for using evidence-based strategies to teach and reinforce good behaviors. Great job! You are the smartest parent we know!