Token economy systems are fantastic for helping students better regulate their impulses and behaviors. Have you ever had a student that you thought would really benefit from a token economy system, but couldn’t get him or her to stop picking the work for card apart? Don’t give up! Here are some different ideas for students who pick at token economy strips.
Just like everything else we do in special ed., the token economy system strips can easily be modified to make them work better for our students. In my class, we use 3 different versions of work for “cards.”
First, we have the common work for cards where pennies are earned and attached with hook and loop Velcro to the strip. We have strips with 1 to 5 Velcro spots on them…. the more Velcro spots, the longer the student is expected to work before needing reinforcement.
Click the link below to read about making your own durable and CHEAP work for cards!
Second, we have dry erase strips for students who love to earn the tokens, but can’t give up the tokens to “cash in” for the reinforer. This has been extremely helpful for students hoarding tendencies or ODD because it takes the fight out of the equation.
The third type we use is actually not a strip. We call this the penny cup. This type has been really helpful for students who are obsessed with picking at sticky things like Velcro dots or pieces. Students follow the same process as if it were a strip, but put the picture of their reinforcer in the cup and then collect their pennies. At cash in time, students exchange the pennies in their cup for their reinforcer.
Need more info about token economy systems and how to use them? Click the link below for a blog post with details.
