When new therapist/placement students start at the centre, we always tell them to pair first. Pairing is a very essential part of therapy. We want to make sure we have paired well with the learner before starting the teaching process and to make the teaching successful. Most new staff/placement students think this is very simple but when we ask them after they have been at the centre for at least a week, they always say its much harder then what they thought it was going to be. Building the relationship with the learners is not as easy as it sounded. Once we know we have paired well with the learners and established reinforcers, we are ready for the next step which is teaching. Great refresher ! Thanks Chaza !
Pairing is my favourite process and my favourite to work on with new staff. We sometimes overlook this process but pairing is so important. This is the first step when starting with a new client. We need to build trust and a good relationship first! When we have paired successfully we gain instructional control. Pairing helps us build a positive rapport with our learners, ensuring successful teaching. In the pairing process, the IT becomes a conditioned reinforcer as they pair with an established reinforcer. The goal is for the IT to become the ultimate reinforcer. Whenever we are training new staff this is one of the first things we teach. Pairing is a continuous process. These are all great tips! Some things I find that help with the pairing process are being fun and animated (if you are having fun, your learenr will be having fun too), giving freely, going with the flow (following learner's lead and motivation), watching your learner (body language, facial expressions, etc), being careful not to place demands (even asking "what colour is this?" can be a demand in play), consider individual differences, and don't be disappointed if the first thing you try doesn't work!
Like many RBTs, I also have noticed that sometimes it can be hard to maintain motivation for our learners and have the ability to sustain it over a longer period of time. This is especially the case for learners whose motivation for different reinforcers changes rapidly, which can make it difficult for us to adapt to readily. In regards to this video, I really enjoyed the introduction to instructional control pairing procedure. I believe having the opportunity to sit down with learners and access their reinforcers, as well as build instructional control, is a great way to transition from building that trusting relationship (from pairing) to integrating it into instructional control so that we can use it as a tool for learning as well. Doing this more frequently than we think is also a great idea as we know our learners may grow and change, just as we do, and we need to be mindful of that! Thanks for sharing!
Pairing is such an important part of the process and one that often falls to the back of my mind during sessions. Seeing the benefits of pairing can be so rewarding when you see the trust your learn has in you, and this video was a great refresher for me to continue the process. Seeing the example in which the therapist was switching activities frequently was helpful for me because I sometimes can get discouraged when a learner is not engaging in an activity I have set out but it was great to reminded to let the learner take the lead and constantly reassess motivation (i.e., learner wanted to continue playing with the zombie). I found the tip on ICPP and presenting the second activity while the learner is engaged in the first activity to be a great takeaway as fleeting motivation can be an issue for some therapists and it can sometimes throw me off.
Pairing can be such a fun process when working with a new learner. I've truly learned the importance of pairing and how much it will positively impact your therapy once you've gained the trust and built a bond with your learner. I think it is important to remember to not give up during this time and to continue trying not only different possible reinforcers but also different ways of playing with those reinforcers. One thing I enjoyed about the video was thinking about 10 different ways you can play with a ball. It can be so much fun taking a simple toy and finding new ways of playing with it that the learner might enjoy.Thanks for all the great tips!
Pairing is a process that requires to build a trust relationship between the learner and the therapist which helps you to achieve instructional control. The video shared great tips about the steps on pairing and how we can be creative & fun when playing. Sometimes when I am paring with my learners I get stuck playing the same way with the toys. It’s a great reminder to make a list of how you can play with one toy or activities in different ways. The importance of motivation and body language. It’s important to be observant of our learners body language to see if they have began to satiate from the reinforcer and how we can regain their motivation. That’s where ICPP procedure comes in handy. When I was getting trained, I was always told to think ahead of what’s the next reinforcer you can bring out while still playing with the current toy. We always need to remember to have fun when pairing, to enjoy the process so it doesn’t look boring and not be afraid to try out various reinforcers.
Expanding learners toys and activities by introducing things they have not played with and enjoy playing with is an amazing experience to be a part of with the learner! The importance of tone of voice and expressiveness was insightful, the example with the learner was an enjoyable interaction as his attention was sustained and he was engaged! The idea of putting on a show during therapy sessions is a great perspective, it reminds me of the quote by Mark Twain where he mentions dance like nobody's watching/sing like nobody's listening. Paying attention to body language and observing reactions has really helped during sessions when thinking of what enjoyable activities to try next and figuring out what they are motivated for the most. The types of conditioning methods that can be used during SSP's were fascinating and the difference between all of them was great to learn about.
Pairing is so valuable in therapy. I think a lot of people focus so much on programs and learning specific concepts they forget about building that relationship with the therapist. I like to compare it as building the foundation of learning, if you aren’t paired or have that relationship with your learner before starting running programs then learning may not be successful. For both myself and staff that I have trained building that relationship and seeing that learner approach you (both yourself or with YOUR specific reinforcers) is so rewarding. Seeing that learner run to me or approach staff after pairing is a reinforcer for therapist themselves!! Finding new toys and reinforcers sometimes are the most difficult for a therapist. Bringing out different things or using their likes as a starting point is a great way to bring in new toys or actives during play. For example if your learner loves water play you can bring in cars to build a car wash or animals or dolls and give them a bath.
Pairing is very important process when working with a new learner. Tone of voice, following the learners lead, and building motivation are all very important when pairing. It's easy to forget that the learner needs to trust you before you can place demand or be the one to take the lead. Another important point is pairing the environment you're in. The table can become aversive to some learners which is why pairing the table to be fun will keep the learner happy and build the trust between the therapist. This video was extremely helpful and will take many points into application! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing great tips on pairing. Pairing is a vital part of therapy. Whilst exploring reinforcers and finding new ways to play with items make sure to give freebies . It's is important that you pair with your learner and build trust. Through pairing with your learner gain instructional control as a therapist. Make sure to make learning fun not aversive.
When new therapist/placement students start at the centre, we always tell them to pair first. Pairing is a very essential part of therapy. We want to make sure we have paired well with the learner before starting the teaching process and to make the teaching successful. Most new staff/placement students think this is very simple but when we ask them after they have been at the centre for at least a week, they always say its much harder then what they thought it was going to be. Building the relationship with the learners is not as easy as it sounded. Once we know we have paired well with the learners and established reinforcers, we are ready for the next step which is teaching. Great refresher ! Thanks Chaza !
It is … isn’t!
Pairing is my favourite process and my favourite to work on with new staff. We sometimes overlook this process but pairing is so important. This is the first step when starting with a new client. We need to build trust and a good relationship first! When we have paired successfully we gain instructional control. Pairing helps us build a positive rapport with our learners, ensuring successful teaching. In the pairing process, the IT becomes a conditioned reinforcer as they pair with an established reinforcer. The goal is for the IT to become the ultimate reinforcer. Whenever we are training new staff this is one of the first things we teach. Pairing is a continuous process.
These are all great tips! Some things I find that help with the pairing process are being fun and animated (if you are having fun, your learenr will be having fun too), giving freely, going with the flow (following learner's lead and motivation), watching your learner (body language, facial expressions, etc), being careful not to place demands (even asking "what colour is this?" can be a demand in play), consider individual differences, and don't be disappointed if the first thing you try doesn't work!
We sure do! Something we need to remind ourselves of all the time.
Like many RBTs, I also have noticed that sometimes it can be hard to maintain motivation for our learners and have the ability to sustain it over a longer period of time. This is especially the case for learners whose motivation for different reinforcers changes rapidly, which can make it difficult for us to adapt to readily. In regards to this video, I really enjoyed the introduction to instructional control pairing procedure. I believe having the opportunity to sit down with learners and access their reinforcers, as well as build instructional control, is a great way to transition from building that trusting relationship (from pairing) to integrating it into instructional control so that we can use it as a tool for learning as well. Doing this more frequently than we think is also a great idea as we know our learners may grow and change, just as we do, and we need to be mindful of that! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome
Pairing is such an important part of the process and one that often falls to the back of my mind during sessions. Seeing the benefits of pairing can be so rewarding when you see the trust your learn has in you, and this video was a great refresher for me to continue the process. Seeing the example in which the therapist was switching activities frequently was helpful for me because I sometimes can get discouraged when a learner is not engaging in an activity I have set out but it was great to reminded to let the learner take the lead and constantly reassess motivation (i.e., learner wanted to continue playing with the zombie). I found the tip on ICPP and presenting the second activity while the learner is engaged in the first activity to be a great takeaway as fleeting motivation can be an issue for some therapists and it can sometimes throw me off.
We often forget how crucial pairing is and it never ends!
Pairing can be such a fun process when working with a new learner. I've truly learned the importance of pairing and how much it will positively impact your therapy once you've gained the trust and built a bond with your learner. I think it is important to remember to not give up during this time and to continue trying not only different possible reinforcers but also different ways of playing with those reinforcers. One thing I enjoyed about the video was thinking about 10 different ways you can play with a ball. It can be so much fun taking a simple toy and finding new ways of playing with it that the learner might enjoy.Thanks for all the great tips!
Great! Keep up the great work
This is an amazing content . thank you so much
You're very welcome. I hope you enjoyed the video.
Pairing is a process that requires to build a trust relationship between the learner and the therapist which helps you to achieve instructional control. The video shared great tips about the steps on pairing and how we can be creative & fun when playing. Sometimes when I am paring with my learners I get stuck playing the same way with the toys. It’s a great reminder to make a list of how you can play with one toy or activities in different ways. The importance of motivation and body language. It’s important to be observant of our learners body language to see if they have began to satiate from the reinforcer and how we can regain their motivation. That’s where ICPP procedure comes in handy. When I was getting trained, I was always told to think ahead of what’s the next reinforcer you can bring out while still playing with the current toy. We always need to remember to have fun when pairing, to enjoy the process so it doesn’t look boring and not be afraid to try out various reinforcers.
It is! Great work
Expanding learners toys and activities by introducing things they have not played with and enjoy playing with is an amazing experience to be a part of with the learner! The importance of tone of voice and expressiveness was insightful, the example with the learner was an enjoyable interaction as his attention was sustained and he was engaged! The idea of putting on a show during therapy sessions is a great perspective, it reminds me of the quote by Mark Twain where he mentions dance like nobody's watching/sing like nobody's listening. Paying attention to body language and observing reactions has really helped during sessions when thinking of what enjoyable activities to try next and figuring out what they are motivated for the most. The types of conditioning methods that can be used during SSP's were fascinating and the difference between all of them was great to learn about.
Glad the information helped!
Pairing is so valuable in therapy. I think a lot of people focus so much on programs and learning specific concepts they forget about building that relationship with the therapist. I like to compare it as building the foundation of learning, if you aren’t paired or have that relationship with your learner before starting running programs then learning may not be successful. For both myself and staff that I have trained building that relationship and seeing that learner approach you (both yourself or with YOUR specific reinforcers) is so rewarding. Seeing that learner run to me or approach staff after pairing is a reinforcer for therapist themselves!!
Finding new toys and reinforcers sometimes are the most difficult for a therapist. Bringing out different things or using their likes as a starting point is a great way to bring in new toys or actives during play. For example if your learner loves water play you can bring in cars to build a car wash or animals or dolls and give them a bath.
Nice work
Pairing is very important process when working with a new learner. Tone of voice, following the learners lead, and building motivation are all very important when pairing. It's easy to forget that the learner needs to trust you before you can place demand or be the one to take the lead. Another important point is pairing the environment you're in. The table can become aversive to some learners which is why pairing the table to be fun will keep the learner happy and build the trust between the therapist. This video was extremely helpful and will take many points into application! Thank you!
Glad it was!
Thank you for sharing great tips on pairing. Pairing is a vital part of therapy. Whilst exploring reinforcers and finding new ways to play with items make sure to give freebies . It's is important that you pair with your learner and build trust. Through pairing with your learner gain instructional control as a therapist. Make sure to make learning fun not aversive.
You’re welcome!
Amazing video great interaction and animation with the learner. Overal Great explanation for the RBT Community💟
Thanks so much!
Thank you so much for this video. Im a new RBT and find this extremely helpful.
Glad it was helpful!