If the motivation underlying the desired behavior is attention:
1. Determine what kind of attention the child likes best.
2. Catch your child performing the desired behavior and provide lots of this kind of attention.
3. Set up frequent, brief opportunities to practice the desired behavior.
4. Ensure success by guiding your child to perform the desired behavior and then immediately provide the kind of attention he/she enjoys most.
If the motivation underlying the desired behavior is tangible:
1. Determine what items/materials the child likes best.
2. Catch your child performing the desired behavior and provide access to these items.
3. Set up frequent, brief opportunities to practice the desired behavior.
4. Ensure success by guiding your child to perform the desired behavior and then immediately provide access to the most preferred items.
If the motivation underlying the desired behavior is stimulatory:
1. Determine what sort of stimulation the child likes best.
2. Find many different appropriate ways of providing this kind of stimulation to the child.
3. Catch your child performing the desired behavior and provide access to preferred stimulation.
4. Set up frequent, brief opportunities to practice the desired behavior.
5. Ensure success by guiding your child to perform the desired behavior and then immediately provide access to the most preferred stimulating activity.
If the motivation underlying the desired behavior is escape:
1. Determine what form of escape the child uses most.
2. Catch your child performing the desired behavior and then allow the opportunity to escape.
3. Set up frequent, brief opportunities to practice the desired behavior.
4. Ensure success by guiding your child to perform the desired behavior and then immediately provide access to the most preferred means of escape.
