In ABA, reinforcers are essential tools. They help learners acquire new skills, increase independence, and engage more meaningfully in daily life. Yet one of the most common concerns we hear from educators, clinicians, and families is this: “My learner only works for tangibles.”
Whether it’s edibles, tokens, or small toys, concrete reinforcers in the classroom can feel like both a lifeline and a limitation. The good news is that relying on tangibles does not mean you are “doing it wrong.” In fact, tangible and primary reinforcers often play an essential and ethical role – especially early in learning. The goal isn’t to abruptly eliminate them, but to thoughtfully transition to natural reinforcers that support long-term success.
Why Tangible Reinforcers Are Often the Starting Point
Whether it’s a favorite snack, some sensory input, or just a moment of comfort, these are powerful tools in our ABA toolkit. Why? Because they work simply by meeting a biological or sensory need – no prior learning history required!
For many learners, especially those who are brand new to intervention or have limited motivation for social interaction, these reinforcers provide a clear way to establish learning momentum.
This is also where conditioned reinforcer ABA strategies – such as tokens, praise paired with tangible rewards, or access cards – come into play. These strategies help bridge the gap between concrete items and more abstract rewards.
It’s important to remember that using this type of reinforcer isn’t inherently problematic. The key is having a plan! Ethical concerns usually arise only when we use reinforcers without considering the bigger picture – promoting autonomy, dignity, and functional outcomes for our learners.
Don’t miss our next CEU event on Thursday, January 22 at 12pm EST or get the recording. Join us here!
The Ethical Case for Natural Reinforcers
Natural reinforcers are outcomes that naturally occur as a result of a behavior. For example, asking for help and receiving assistance, completing work and feeling a sense of accomplishment, or engaging socially and being included by peers. These reinforcers are powerful because they are sustainable, meaningful, and embedded in everyday life.
From an ethical standpoint, moving toward natural reinforcers aligns with ABA’s core values: promoting independence, generalization, and quality of life. A learner who depends solely on tangibles may struggle to maintain skills in environments where those reinforcers aren’t available – or appropriate.
That said, transitioning too quickly or without regard for learner readiness can be harmful. A compassionate approach recognizes that motivation is not something we “fade,” but something we expand.
Preference vs. Reinforcement
A preferred reinforcer isn’t static. Preferences change over time, across settings, and based on learning history. What functions as a positive reinforcer today may lose its value tomorrow. This is particularly relevant when addressing automatic behavior ABA targets, where reinforcement may be internally maintained, rather than socially mediated.
When working with automatic behavior, pairing new skills with natural sensory or social outcomes is especially important. Rather than competing with automatic reinforcement, clinicians can teach alternative behaviors that access similar sensory input in more functional ways.
5 Practical Steps for Moving Toward Natural Reinforcers
1. Pair Tangibles With Natural Outcomes
Instead of delivering tangibles in isolation, pair them consistently with social interaction, descriptive praise, or access to meaningful activities. Over time, the social and activity-based components can take on reinforcing value.
2. Use the Environment as the Reinforcer
Whenever possible, allow the behavior itself to contact reinforcement. For example, a learner who requests a break should receive the break, not a token for the break. This helps shift control from external items to functional outcomes.
3. Thin, Don’t Eliminate
Reinforcement thinning should be gradual and data-informed. Abruptly removing primary reinforcers can increase frustration and problem behavior. Instead, increase response requirements slowly while monitoring engagement and effect.
4. Expand the Reinforcer Menu
Classroom reinforcers don’t have to be tangible items. Leadership roles, peer interaction, choice-making opportunities, and movement-based activities can all function as reinforcers when introduced intentionally.
5. Teach Learners to Access Reinforcement
One of the most empowering shifts happens when learners are taught how to request, negotiate, or self-manage reinforcement. This transforms reinforcers from something “given” to something the learner can actively obtain.
Don’t miss our next CEU event on Thursday, January 22 at 12pm EST or get the recording. Join us here!
What Reinforcement Success Really Looks Like
Moving away from concrete reinforcers in the classroom doesn’t mean a learner never earns a tangible reward again. It means the learner is no longer dependent on them to engage, persist, or feel successful. The ultimate goal is flexibility: using ABA reinforcers that fit the context, honor the learner, and support real-world functioning.
When natural reinforcers are thoughtfully embedded, learners begin to experience reinforcement the way the rest of the world does: through connection, competence, autonomy, and meaningful outcomes.
Reinforcers are not bribes. They’re communication tools that tell learners, “This behavior works.” A primary reinforcer, a conditioned reinforcer, or a naturally occurring outcome all serve that same purpose when used ethically.
By taking a compassionate, learner-centered approach to reinforcement, practitioners can move beyond reliance on tangibles while still honoring the science of behavior and the humanity of the individual. That balance, between effectiveness and ethics, is where the best ABA practice lives.