NOTE: This package consists of strategies which may or may not assist in responding to behaviour. It is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice or treatment from a qualified behaviour clinician.
Anyone can use positive praise as a reinforcer!
Praise is:
• Free to give
• Always available
• Takes little time
• No preparation
• Some people like being told they are doing a good job!
• Find out how the individual likes to be praised
• Praise acts as a reinforcer, which makes a behaviour more likely to occur again in the future
• Use of positive praise has been shown to increase cooperation, task completion and decrease inappropriate behaviour
1. Use behaviour-specific praise (e.g., “I like your quiet voice”, “thank you for picking up your socks.”
2. Give praise immediately following any desired behaviour
3. Vary the types of praise
Thank you for ...
I really like how ...
Well done, you did ...
I was so proud of you when ...
I can see how hard you’ve tried with ...
The 5:1 ratio
aim to give 5 positive words for every 1 negative/critical