A preference assessment in ABA therapy is a structured way to find out a child’s interests and preferences. During the assessment, a therapist presents various stimuli — such as toys, activities, or snacks — for the child to choose from. Behavior technicians use methods such as single stimulus, paired stimulus, and multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) to identify favorites that may later be used as reinforcers to motivate and encourage new skills.
While you probably already know many of your child’s favorites, their therapist is still getting to know what motivates them when treatment begins. Preference assessments may be conducted during the initial evaluation or early in treatment, then repeated as your child’s interests change.
Why Does a Preference Assessment Matter in ABA Therapy?
Positive reinforcement is a fundamental part of how ABA therapy works. Therapists provide immediate rewards — like a favorite toy or praise — to encourage helpful behaviors and support the development of new skills in children with autism.[1] But for reinforcement to work, what follows the behavior has to actually matter to your child.
Why motivation drives progress in ABA
Motivation is the engine behind positive reinforcement because it gives the child a reason to participate and practice a skill. When a child is offered something they truly want, they’re often more willing to communicate, complete a task, or try something new — creating more opportunities to practice and strengthen the skill.
How preference connects to reinforcement
What motivates a child depends on what they value. Some preferences may be fairly consistent, like a favorite toy, song, or activity, while others change with the moment. A snack may be more appealing when a child is hungry, while a favorite toy may be less appealing after they’ve played with it for a while.
Preference assessments help therapists keep track of what a child currently values so they can identify effective reinforcers. Importantly, something a child prefers only functions as a reinforcer if it actually increases the behavior or skill being taught.
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What Are the Main Types of Preference Assessments?
Preference assessments generally fall into two categories: indirect and direct. A care team may use both — especially when first getting to know a child — because each provides different information about their interests and potential reinforcers.
Indirect methods: interviews and caregiver checklists
With an indirect preference assessment, the care team gathers input from parents and caregivers through conversations, interviews, or checklists about favorite toys, foods, activities, people, and other interests. This gives therapists a starting list of potential reinforcers to explore.
Direct methods: free operant, single stimulus, paired stimulus, MSW, MSWO
Direct stimulus preference assessments involve presenting different options available to the child and observing what they choose or engage with. Therapists can choose from several different direct methods:
- Free operant: Your child has access to several items or activities, and the therapist observes how long they engage with each one.
- Single stimulus: The therapist presents one option at a time and records whether your child approaches or engages with it.
- Paired stimulus assessment: The therapist presents two options at a time and records which one your child chooses. Different pairings are repeated to help determine which options your child prefers.
- Multiple stimulus with replacement (MSW): The therapist presents several options at once. After each choice, the selected item is returned to the group for the next round, allowing the child to choose it again.
- Multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO): The therapist presents several options at once. After each choice, the selected item is removed for the next round, helping the therapist build a preference ranking across the remaining options.
Research has helped therapists understand which assessment methods work best at identifying reinforcers. A study comparing three direct methods found that MSWO could give therapists a similar picture of which items a child preferred as a paired-stimulus assessment — but in less than half the time.[2] This improved efficiency means more session time for teaching and practicing skills following the assessment.
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How Often Are Preference Assessments Conducted?
There isn’t one set schedule for preference assessments. A more complete assessment may happen every few weeks or months, while brief preference checks can occur within individual sessions. The right frequency depends on the child and how quickly their preferences change.
Signs it’s time to reassess
Your child’s BCBA may decide it’s time for a full preference reassessment when they notice changes such as:
- Stalled progress on a skill that was previously improving
- Less participation or interest in learning activities
- A favorite toy, activity, or snack losing its appeal
- Changes in routines or environments that affect motivation, such as a new classroom or schedule
- New or more challenging skills being introduced that may require different reinforcers
Keeping reinforcers fresh at home and in therapy
Parents and therapists can help prevent satiety by changing what reinforcers are available and continuing to pay attention to what the child is interested in. Some strategies include:
- Rotate favorites: switch between toys, snacks, activities, praise, and other reinforcers rather than relying on the same one repeatedly.
- Add more options: as your child develops new interests, add them to the mix so there are several potential reinforcers to choose from. Or, add more unique activities or responsibilities as rewards.
- Check in frequently: at home, offer choices and notice what your child is interested in that day. During therapy, the care team may use brief preference checks rather than assuming a usual favorite will still be motivating.
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How United Care ABA Uses Preference Assessments in Treatment
At United Care ABA, therapy is built around the individual child — there’s no standard list of rewards or one-size-fits-all approach. What motivates one child may do nothing for another, which is why understanding each child’s interests is part of planning and adjusting treatment.
From assessment results to an individualized plan
Our BCBAs take what they learn from preference assessments and build those interests into your child’s treatment sessions.
For example, an assessment may show that your child consistently chooses movement activities over other options. The team might then use time on a swing or a movement break as a potential reinforcer after they practice skills like communication, transitions, or another treatment goal.
We also understand that what motivates a child changes as they grow, so reinforcement should grow with them. In early intervention ABA, preferred activities might include bubbles, songs, or active play. In ABA therapy for teens, we may incorporate age-appropriate interests such as hobbies, social activities, or opportunities for greater choice and independence.
How our behavior technicians are trained to run these assessments
As part of the BACB’s RBT competency assessment, RBTs must demonstrate that they can conduct preference assessments correctly. At United Care ABA, our RBTs learn preference assessment procedures through formal training and hands-on practice with a supervising BCBA. This looks like learning to:
- identify appropriate options to assess
- gather input from parents
- conduct direct assessments with the child
- recognize when preferences may need to be checked again
This ongoing training helps RBTs stay attentive to what motivates each child and collect the information BCBAs need to make informed decisions about reinforcement throughout treatment. Behavior technicians interested in building these skills can explore RBT careers with us.
Ready to See What Motivates Your Child?
There’s nothing better than seeing your child light up while doing something they love. In ABA therapy, that enjoyment can become a valuable part of how your child learns and grows.
Whether it’s chasing bubbles, jumping on a trampoline, or building a LEGO spaceship, preference assessments help the team at United Care identify what brings your child joy and harness those interests as motivation while they practice and build new skills.
Your child deserves therapy that feels personal, engaging, and enjoyable — a place where they can look forward to participating while building important skills. Explore our parent resources or connect with our team to learn how United Care builds treatment around your child’s interests, motivation, and goals.
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FAQs
What are the main types of preference assessments in ABA?
The most common types are indirect (interviews and checklists), free operant, single stimulus, paired stimulus, and multiple stimulus with or without replacement. Each one is chosen based on a child’s communication ability and how quickly the team needs results.
How often should a preference assessment be repeated?
There’s no single fixed schedule. However, preferences can shift quickly — especially in young children — so many ABA teams reassess every few sessions or whenever a reinforcer seems to be losing its effect.
What is an example of a preference assessment?
A common example is a paired stimulus assessment, where a therapist places two toys in front of a child and asks them to pick one. This gets repeated across several pairs to build a ranked list of favorites.
What’s the difference between a preference assessment and a reinforcer assessment?
A preference assessment identifies what a child seems to like. A reinforcer assessment goes a step further and tests whether that liked item actually increases a target behavior when used as a reward.
Who conducts preference assessments in ABA therapy?
Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) typically run preference assessments under the supervision and training of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
2 Works Cited
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1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Treatment and intervention for autism spectrum disorder. Open source
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2. DeLeon, I. G. & Iwata, B. A. (1996). Evaluation of a multiple-stimulus presentation format for assessing reinforcer preferences. Open source
