Classroom Interventions for Children with
Attention Deficit Disorder
Classroom Token Economy
Description
A token economy is an intensive, in-class positive reinforcement program for building up and
maintaining appropriate classroom performance and behavior. A token program may be needed
when other positive reinforcement programs, such as selective use of teacher attention or a home-
based reinforcement program, are insufficient to motivate the student with Attention Deficit
Disorder to behave and perform appropriately. When this is the case, a tangible reward program,
managed by the teacher, may be needed. Tangible rewards can be conveniently managed through
a token reinforcement program.
Token programs involve the distribution of physical tokens (for example, poker chips, stickers,
stars, smiley faces, etc.) or points following appropriate behavior. The tokens or points can be
accumulated throughout the day and exchanged for designated rewards at a specified time. A
predetermined goal is set for the number of tokens or points required to earn a reward. The
teacher or classroom aide is responsible for distributing the tokens and providing the reward.
Advantages
A token program is one of the most powerful behavioral interventions for improving school
behavior. In children with ADD, the changes in classroom behavior can be comparable to those
obtained by stimulant medications (O'Leary & O’Leary, 1976). Token programs allow for the use of more
powerful incentives than are typically in place in the classroom. In addition, token programs have
the advantage of providing more immediate rewards than home-based programs.
Limitations
A survey of teachers' classroom management practices showed that formal token programs were
used for increasing appropriate behavior by about 30 percent of teachers, with an average
frequency of use between "not at all" and "just a little" (Rosen, Taylor, O’Leary, & Sanderson, 1990). This result may
simply reflect that such intensive in-class programs are not needed for the majority of students.
However, it could also indicate that the technique is too time consuming and difficult to manage,
given teachers' other responsibilities. Furthermore, while behavioral interventions sound simple,
their implementation can be difficult. For this reason, teachers may need additional training or
consultation with a person trained in behavioral interventions in order to successfully implement a
token reinforcement program. In one study, a classroom teacher was able to successfully manage
a classroom wide token program with 18 hyperactive children after consultation with a behavioral
specialist who helped initiate the program (Robinson, Newby, & Ganzell, 1981). The steps involved in
establishing a token economy program are outline below.
Implementation
Step 1: Select behaviors to target for change.
The teacher should choose two to four of the most important problem behaviors to target for
change. Additional behaviors can be substituted in as the student’s behavior changes. It is
important for these behaviors to be defined clearly. The characteristics of well- defined behavior are
