Often students with autism are not able to indicate their preferences and dislikes.  Things that are reinforcing or rewarding for one student may be really unpleasant for another student.  As teachers, we cannot assume that our favorite things and activities would also be preferred by others.

Conducting a preference assessment is important and critical to the success of your students. It is a systematic way of identifying preferred items or activities of your students.  Conducting preference assessments to identify potential reinforcers is one of the first steps in managing the behaviors of individuals with autism.   Without a potent reinforcer, it will be difficult to change behavior.

If you would like more information on the different types of preference assessments click the link provided below.

http://vkc.mc.vanderbilt.edu/ebip/preference-assessments/