How to Design and Implement a Token Economy

Designing the token economy as a team:

Develop a few rules / behavior expectations (keep hands to self, listen to teacher, etc.)
Have appropriate visual supports for these rules / expectations
At what point will you want to withdraw the token economy?
Choose tokens that are appropriate to the child’s interest, age, level of understanding
Develop a list of items/activities that the child will have access to in exchange for a predetermined number of tokens. Begin with just a few options and have visual supports representing the child’s choices.
Train the team on when to give tokens and how often, what are available reinforcers, etc.
Require team to pair delivery of tokens with specific behavioral praise – remember to praise for the rules/behavior expectations you have developed
Decide how the team will respond if the child does not earn the required number of tokens

It is very important that the child is easily successful at earning the tokens necessary to receive access to a preferred reinforcer
Provide tokens frequently and begin with a low number of required tokens for reinforcement
Initially, the child should be allowed to choose his/her reinforcer and receive access to the reinforcer immediately following earning appropriate number of tokens
As the child becomes more successful, access to the reinforcer can and should begin to be delayed.
As the child is earning more and more tokens based on appropriate behavior, slowly increase the number of tokens the child is required to earn prior to receiving reinforcement.
Add more items/activities to the list of reinforcement choices.
Tokens should never be removed from the child’s system for inappropriate behavior.
Test the token economy system before it is fully implemented and be prepared to modify.

Gradually increase the number tokens required to earn reinforcement choices
Gradually increase the amount of time between receiving tokens
Gradually decrease the amount of time that the token economy is in effect (all day to partial day, etc)
Begin to remove items from the list of reinforcers that may not be found or available in a wide range of settings (i.e., that special computer game)
Fade out the physical evidence of the tokens