A practical strategy for ongoing reinforcer assessment.

Three preschoolers with autism were hitting, screaming, or flopping during table work.

Each day, staff let the child pick one sensory toy from a small box before the lesson.

They then used that toy as a reinforcer for correct responses.

The team tracked problem behavior and correct answers across several weeks.

When the child chose the toy first, problem behavior dropped to near zero.

Correct responses shot up at the same time.

The quick pick-and-use routine worked for all three kids without extra training.

Kestner et al. (2023) reviewed 34 choice studies and found the same pattern: letting kids choose boosts both cooperation and skill gains.

Rojahn et al. (2012) took the same idea to music. A 5-minute song choice before noncontingent music cut vocal stereotypy better than random songs.

Heinicke et al. (2016) looked at pictures instead of toys. When pictures alone failed, they added brief access to the real items and the assessment then worked.

Rispoli et al. (2016) warns the effect fades: after about 60 minutes of free access, problem behavior can creep back.

You can run this in under two minutes. Grab three sensory items the child already likes. Let them point, then hand over the chosen item for each correct response. If behavior spikes after an hour, re-offer the choice or switch items. No extra staff, no fancy tech—just a box of fidgets and a timer.