Which option best describes how to determine reinforcers for Jaylen, who uses a communication board to indicate preferences?

Which option best describes how to determine reinforcers for Jaylen, who uses a communication board to indicate preferences?

• A. Conducting online research to determine the most effective reinforcers for Jaylen
• B. Collaborating with Jaylen's Individualized Education Program (IEP) team
• C. Observing Jaylen as she indicates preferences for a variety of reinforcers
• D. Providing Jaylen with a standard-issue set of classroom reinforcers

Answer: (C)

The main idea is to identify what truly motivates Jaylen by watching and recording what she chooses on her communication board. When a learner indicates preferences through a communication method, those selections are the clearest and most reliable signal of reinforcers. By presenting a variety of potential rewards and noting which items she selects and how her engagement or target behavior changes after access to them, you gather direct evidence of what functions as a reinforcer for her. This direct observation respects her mode of communication and provides personalized, motivating options that are more accurate than guessing or using a standard set. Collaborating with Jaylen’s IEP team is important for planning and supports, but the actual reinforcer determination should be grounded in what she demonstrates she wants. Online research cannot capture her moment-to-moment preferences, and a one-size-fits-all set of classroom reinforcers may miss what she genuinely finds reinforcing.

The main idea is to identify what truly motivates Jaylen by watching and recording what she chooses on her communication board. When a learner indicates preferences through a communication method, those selections are the clearest and most reliable signal of reinforcers. By presenting a variety of potential rewards and noting which items she selects and how her engagement or target behavior changes after access to them, you gather direct evidence of what functions as a reinforcer for her. This direct observation respects her mode of communication and provides personalized, motivating options that are more accurate than guessing or using a standard set.

Collaborating with Jaylen’s IEP team is important for planning and supports, but the actual reinforcer determination should be grounded in what she demonstrates she wants. Online research cannot capture her moment-to-moment preferences, and a one-size-fits-all set of classroom reinforcers may miss what she genuinely finds reinforcing.