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Simply Special Ed

Resource Downloads & Teaching Advice

Behavior Blog Visuals

Quick and Easy Positive Reinforcement

Quick and Easy Positive Reinforcement Tips

For students with special needs or behaviors, positive reinforcement is everything. We NEED to find out how to motivate them and KEEP them motivated for them to be successful.

A fun way I like to this is my classroom is by switching up rewards and visuals. A fun way I like to this is my classroom is by switching up rewards and visuals.

At each work station in my classroom, we have a reward bucket. This is for quick access to a reward once our tokens are earned in a discrete trial session. My students earn larger breaks throughout the day as well, and earn access to “bigger” things such as the iPad, swing, or book nook, but these buckets are used for quick and easy reinforcement.

WHAT’S INSIDE?

It changes SO OFTEN. Whatever is motivating to the student usually loses it’s power over time so they never know what to expect to find. I mix up the buckets and change out the items every single day.

There are usually a variety of twist toys ( like these amazing ROBOTS, affiliate link), trains, cars, sensory bottles, sensory fidgets, bubbles, books.

THE TOKEN BOARDS

For years, I used the same old token boards with kids. I love them, they worked but for some kids they just lose their magic. So I started making some FUN, more reinforcing boards related to their interests to keep them more motivated! Token boards visuals for positive reinforcement

These types of boards are more likely to keep their interest. This works great for students who are reluctant to come to your workstation at times. I usually have them choose from a few options to practice using full sentences and making choices.

ANOTHER TRICK:

If you are using my classic token boards, there are fun ways you can switch those up too, without changing the design, style or reminders on top. Just print small pictures of the students favorite characters and use those as the tokens!

classic token boards

You can grab the fun token boards HERE for free!

Fun token boards

FREE token boards ( no visuals) 

You can grab my classic token boards for throughout the day with reminders HERE! Behavior management first/then and token boards for special education

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Hi amazing teachers!
I'm Alyssa Shanahan -- a former Elementary Special Ed & Life Skills teacher. My classroom focus was always to keep things simple, increase communication, and build independence. Simply Special Ed's goal is to help teachers and students reach their full potential in and out of the classroom!

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