Effects of choice making on the serious problem behaviors of students with severe handicaps.

Three students with severe disabilities took part. Each child could pick the next task and the reward they wanted.

The researchers flipped back and forth. Some days the teacher chose. Other days the student chose. They watched how often serious problem behavior happened.

When students picked, aggression and self-injury dropped. Correct work stayed the same. Choice cut problem behavior without hurting learning.

Willemsen-Swinkels et al. (1998) later showed one boy picked a choice condition even when it gave him 40 times fewer rewards. Choice itself acted like candy.

Lovitt et al. (1969) had already seen that kids work harder when they set their own goals. Morris et al. (1990) moved the idea from academics to severe behavior.

McKenna et al. (2017) built on this by adding a functional twist. They first found why the behavior happened, then taught a new response. Choice is a quick antecedent fix; function-based teaching is a deeper one.

You can start using choice today. Offer two tasks and two reinforcers before work begins. It takes seconds and can stop hitting or screaming before it starts. No extra training, no fancy forms—just ask, "Do you want to match or sort?" and "Tablet or bubbles after?" Then watch the room calm down.