Bribes vs. Rewards

Carmel is our former school psychologist and esteemed colleague who periodically comes out of retirement to do training's for us.

**click here to read Bribes vs. Rewards**

Here is what she says this time,

"I put this together partly to make it more clear to all of you what each represents, but also so that you could hand it to other adults who may question what you are doing and why. The gist of the difference is what it is targeting and who it is benefiting. Those who believe rewards are bad may be basing that opinion on the notion that it can "kill" internal motivation. While it can affect internal motivation, I believe it still has a place when wisely used, and sometimes a student has to be motivated from the outside before they can develop a sense of internal motivation. If you remember the Maslow hierarchy, I think internal motivation comes at a higher level and if a child is operating from one of the lower levels, they simply haven't developed the capacity for internal motivation, other than for basic needs, like getting enough food (even if they have to steal it) or being safe (even in they have to take control to feel it). So rewards serve to jump-start a behavior by providing external motivation when the child isn't there yet on their own; or to do things they hate but we are asking them to do anyhow."

#education #autism #executivefunction #reinforcement #behavior