Using Goal Setting and Token Reinforcement to Increase Exercises by Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Tokens plus weekly rep goals quickly doubled strength-training work for two adults with autism in a public gym.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Deshmukh and team worked with two young adults who have autism. The goal was more strength-training reps at a community gym.
Each week the adults picked a clear rep target for moves like chest presses. They earned plastic tokens for every set they hit. Tokens traded later for snacks or small prizes.
What they found
Both adults quickly climbed to every weekly goal. Reps rose in a smooth line across the four-week study.
The token plus goal package kept them working even when the gym got noisy or busy.
How this fits with other research
The result lines up with Cihon et al. (2019). They also used tokens with kids who have autism, but kept the exchange rule secret. Both studies show tokens lift performance when the rule is clear to the learner.
Foster et al. (1979) ran a similar multiple-baseline token plan with psychiatric in-patients decades ago. The design and jump in adaptive behavior look almost identical, proving the model still works in a modern gym.
Cruz-Montecinos et al. (2024) reviewed lifestyle programs for adults with ID. They stress fun, choice, and social ties. Deshmukh adds a simple, low-cost layer: visible tokens plus self-set goals.
Why it matters
You can copy this Monday. Post a weekly rep goal chart, hand a token after each completed set, and let the learner trade for a preferred item. No apps, no big budget, just paper and pennies. It may add muscle, routine, and a sense of control for adults who often get left out of fitness culture.
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Join Free →Tape a goal chart on the weight rack, give one token per finished set, and let the client trade five tokens for a preferred snack.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
ABSTRACT Engaging in regular moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) can result in improvements in health in many children and adults. The United States Department of Health and Human Services (2018) recommends that adults engage in 75–150 min of MVPA and 2 days of muscle‐strengthening activities every week. Yet, many adults do not meet this recommendation and even fewer adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) meet this recommendation. Several behavioral interventions are effective in increasing MVPA, but few have targeted muscle‐strengthening activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate goal setting and token reinforcement to increase the frequency of exercises in adults with ASD. Two adults diagnosed with ASD participated in this study at a local dance studio. Using a multiple baseline design across exercises with a changing criterion design, we used goal setting and token reinforcement to systematically increase the frequency of muscle‐strengthening exercises (e.g., pushups, bicep curls, modified squats, etc.). Both participants increased the frequency of the exercises according to the criteria changes until they met the terminal criterion for each exercise. Future directions for research and implications for practitioners were discussed.
Behavioral Interventions, 2026 · doi:10.1002/bin.70070