Evaluating the function of social interaction for children with autism

Morris et al. (2021) built a 5-minute test that asks one question: is social interaction a reinforcer, neutral, or aversive for this child? They tried it with 21 children with autism. The child sits at a table with two boxes. One box opens to a smiling adult who gives a high-five and says "nice job." The other box opens to the same adult who stays quiet and still. The child can pick either box over several trials.

Nine kids kept picking the social box, seven picked both about equally, and five almost always picked the silent box. The test took under ten minutes and gave a clear answer for every child. Staff said the results felt obvious and easy to explain to parents.

Fahmie et al. (2013) ran a similar test with six kids and a two-choice setup. Their method worked, but sessions were longer and did not label social interaction as "aversive" when kids avoided it. Morris keeps the speed and adds the aversive category, so you know when to drop social praise from a program.

Petrovic et al. (2016) showed that watching a peer pick the social option can turn tangibles into second place. That study proves social value can change. Morris gives you the before measure so you know whether you even need to boost social value.

Clay et al. (2023) did the same quick-sort idea with therapy dogs. One-third of kids loved the dog, one-third felt okay, and one-third did not care. The parallel pattern shows that brief preference tests work for different stimuli in autism.

Stop guessing. Run the five-minute test before you write a praise-heavy program. If social interaction lands in the aversive pile, switch to tokens, edibles, or activity reinforcers first. If it is neutral, pair it with known reinforcers and retest later. You will avoid program stalls and reduce escape behaviors that pop up when kids work to avoid your "good job."