Some people say it’s better to use “natural consequences” in teaching children with autism. What is the difference?
Natural (Intrinsic) Consequences: Consequences of a child’s behavior that are logically related to their actions. When a child puts on her clothing in the morning her mother says she can go outdoors and play. Playing outdoors is a natural consequence of getting dressed. Contrived consequences have no logical relation to the behavior displayed. When a child puts on her clothes in the morning her Mom gives her an M&M that has no logical relation to dressing. Natural consequences usually are more effective in maintaining a child’s behavior in the long term. When a young child with an ASD is first learning a new skill and exhibits poor attention and limited ability to participate in therapy, it is often useful to begin by using contrived consequences that are almost universally effective (e.g. like a preferred food item) to jump-start learning. Once that has occurred, therapists often shift to natural consequences as the child’s skill levels increase.
