A Token System for a Class of Underachieving Hyperactive Children

Abstract

Using a BAB design, a token system requiring cooperative interaction was used to change the reading and vocabulary performance of an 18-member class of third-grade hyperactive boys. Four different colored tokens, which could be exchanged for 15 minutes of play on electrovideo games, were earned by successful completion of two tasks that involved learning to read and to use new vocabulary words in sentences, and two tasks in which the student served as a proctor to a student who had not yet completed those tasks. The mean number of tasks completed during the intervention periods rose to over nine times the number completed during reversal. Additionally, the average completion rate for the school district's standardized weekly reading level examinations rose from four to eight fold during the token conditions. All 18 students responded to the token program by increasing their academic performance.

Interventions to Address the Academic Impairment of Children and Adolescents with ADHD

“…Unfortunately, despite the convincing rationale for the potential benefits of peer tutoring on the classroom behavior and academic productivity of students with ADHD, only a few studies have examined the efficacy of this method for use with this population DuPaul and Henningson, 1993;Robinson et al, 1981). In a preliminary study, 18 hyperactive boys in 3rd grade were exposed to a peer tutoring procedure in which one student coached another on reading and learning to use new vocabulary words in sentences (Robinson et al, 1981).…”

“…In a preliminary study, 18 hyperactive boys in 3rd grade were exposed to a peer tutoring procedure in which one student coached another on reading and learning to use new vocabulary words in sentences (Robinson et al, 1981). This procedure also involved token reinforcement for successful completion of peer tutoring tasks.…”

“…Some studies required only that participants surpass a cut-off score on the Conner's Behavior Rating Scale teacher version (e.g., Ajibola and Clement, 1995;Belfiore et al, 1996;Fitzgerald et al, 1986;Zentall, 1985) or another teacher report measure (e.g., Robinson et al, 1981;Zentall, 1986). This is not consistent with best practices for diagnosing ADHD, which include the integration of reports from multiple individuals in more than one setting (Barkley, 1998).…”

Academic Interventions for Students With Attention‐deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Review of the Literature

“…One of the earliest investigations of peer tutoring as part of an intervention package for students with ADHD was conducted by Robinson, Newby, and Ganzell (1981). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a classwide token reinforcement program on the academic performance of 18 hyperactive third-grade boys placed in a special education classroom.…”

The effects of token reinforcement on attending in a young child with autism

“…Variations of a token economy have been implemented with individuals with psychiatric disorders who were hospitalized (Ayllon & Azrin, 1965, 1968, children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Ayllon, Layman, & Kandel, 1975;Hupp & Reitman, 1999;Robinson, Newby, & Ganzell, 1981), adolescents with behavior disorders (Foxx, 1998), students with learning disabilities (Cavalier, Ferritte, & Hodges, 1997), workers in industrial settings (Foxx, Hopkins, & Anger,The effects of different parameters of token reinforcement have been investigated thoroughly and it has been demonstrated that token reinforcement is most effective when back-up reinforcement is available, and when tokens can be exchanged without delay (Kazdin, 1977). Basic research conducted with nonhumans has also corroborated these findings and has further demonstrated that response patterns observed under a variety of schedules of token delivery resemble those obtained under schedules of primary reinforcement, contributing to the validity of the token economy (e.g., Kelleher, 1958).…”