Implementation of a Token Economy in the Process of Skills Development in Distance Learning Classes with a Child with ASD

Abstract

The research conducted with a five-year-old child diagnosed with childhood autism evaluates the effectiveness of using of a token economy reinforcer system and discrete trial teaching method for establishing matching and discrimination skills (animal discrimination and matching identical stimuli), as well as answering yes/no questions about preferred items. Due to the pandemic, the child did not have the opportunity to attend rehabilitation centers, so the parents agreed to work in a distance format. For this study, the child’s mother was involved as a tutor, who was previously trained to provide prompts and rewards on time. Data collection was carried out online by a specialist. At the end of the training session, the percentage of correct reactions from the total number of samples was calculated. The results of the study demonstrated that the child has mastered these skills, and also partially generalized them in new environmental conditions. The study also showed that cooperation with parents who take part in the process as tutors in a distance learning format is very beneficial and successfully affects the acquisition of new skills, their generalization, as well as the quality of life of the child.