Evaluating Open-Ended Parent Reports and Direct Preference Assessments to Identify Reinforcers for Young Children With Autism

Little research has evaluated open-ended parent reports to identify reinforcers for children with autism. This study evaluated open-ended parent reports and direct preference assessments for six young children with autism in home-based therapy. Results indicated little correspondence between parent reports and direct assessment assessments for all but one child. However, a follow-up reinforcer assessment with two children showed that the top ranked stimulus from both assessments functioned as reinforcers, with one child demonstrating higher levels of responding for the top ranked stimulus from the parent report. Results tentatively support open-ended parent reports to identify reinforcers for young children with autism.