A copy of ABA Q&A [3] Will the Token System Create Robots?

Token system Token system is a common technology in ABA. To put it simply, there are spaces in the sticker board. If you answer the right question or perform a specified behavior, you will be awarded a sticker. If you save all, you can exchange for the specified prize.

👍 Generally speaking, it is very useful for students (not just children) who are new to training and need very clear, systematic, and visual reminders. Especially for people who do not have the basic ability to understand language, it makes them understand the cause and effect, what is required of them, and the time of completion, simple and easy to understand.

💰 The public has a misunderstanding that the token system is only suitable for people with severe autism or students with intellectual disabilities. In fact, the truth is that you and I are in need of money every day! Adult version: After completing a piece of work or reworking for a specific period of time, you will receive a specific amount of tokens: money. If you save a specific amount of tokens: money, you can exchange for the goods you want to meet our needs. For example: one meal, a room, a coat, and a game console.

👦🏻 🔜 👨🏻 So the principle is actually the same, which are the form of token props, the effort required, and the time to wait for the exchange. Therefore, it is not the token system that is the problem, but the focus is on how to transform things into the natural appearance of mature adults step by step.

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[Don’t you care about the sticker? 】🤷🏻 Department, many students don’t care about stickers!

Sometimes the public misunderstands: Prize sticker = token system ❌ As discussed before, there is no specified amount to save, and there is no exchange of prizes. It is not a token system, but only a sticker as a prize. If it is a cartoon character that the child likes, it may serve as a reward, but if not, it is just a sticker.

✅ So this is a question of training steps. Children must be trained to understand the concept of collection, specify target behaviors, and exchange some rewarding items. Even an ordinary tick can work.

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[When you grow up and only have stickers/tokens, do you do it first? 】🤖 I have seen it, I really have seen it. . . . . . 🙈

There are adult students with autism. There are 30 stickers in the sticker board. There is one sticker for each question. After collecting 30 stickers, you can rest. There was no sticker board and he really didn't know what was going on.

🚨 So this is a problem of fade out, we need to return to nature. The disadvantages of the token system are that it is unnatural and invasive (you need to keep close to the stickers). Tokens are a good helper in the early stages of training (not required for every case) or at specific times, but once you get used to it, you need to plan the steps to get rid of it and reduce our own reliance on the token system. 🚨

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⚖️ Of course, we will also discuss that being a human being is not purely about money. Many behaviors have other motives, and there are many things in this world that cannot be bought with money. This can be discussed in detail slowly, for example, only using tokens for a certain topic, and other behaviors respond to natural consequences.

#Thank you to the highly involved parents and mothers for raising questions #Welcome to ask more and discuss together #Let’s learn and add together with you