Concurrent operant preference assessment to identify social consequences to decrease task latency for adolescents with dual diagnosis

Five teens with dual diagnosis took part. Each teen completed a five-minute concurrent-operant test. Two tasks sat on a table. One task gave a social reward such as high-five or praise. The other task gave no social reward. The team watched which task the teen chose most.

After the test, the teen’s chosen social reward was given right after he or she started daily living jobs like wiping a counter or packing a backpack. The team timed how long each teen waited before starting the job.

All five teens began jobs faster when their chosen social reward was used. The shorter wait lasted through a two-week follow-up. The five-minute test picked reinforcers that worked in real routines.

Cruz-Torres et al. (2020) also helped teens with autism master daily living skills, but parents delivered video prompts on an iPad instead of using social rewards. Their study extends Robinson’s idea: once you know what works, parents can teach at home with simple tech.

Pritchard et al. (2017) ran a full 12-week group class for high-schoolers with autism. Their program came before Robinson’s quick test-to-treatment model. Duncan et al. (2022) later ran a small RCT of the same class and still saw big gains. These papers show both long classes and brief assessments can improve daily living skills.

Doughty et al. (2010) used a short workplace assessment to cut stereotypy and raise work output in adults with autism. Both studies prove a fast, individualized assessment can guide real-world interventions across ages and settings.

You can copy the five-minute test in your next session. Place two quick jobs side by side. Let the teen pick one. The chosen social reward is likely to speed up task starts. No extra toys or tokens needed—just praise, a fist bump, or a smile you now know works.