Pairing

Pairing is an important strategy for working with children. It occurs when the teacher is able to associate their presence with an object or activity the child enjoys. If the teacher succeeds in doing so, they will be able to build a relationship with the child through which the best way to work with them is identified. It also enables the child to work with the teacher more comfortably, especially in the beginning.

There are six tips to help with pairing.

Playing with the child

Start the instructional session by playing with the child and use the toys available in their environment in different ways. Also, give them the freedom to choose activities and do not impose any activity on them that they have not shown a desire for. Try to show them your amazement at the way they play and your desire to join them, and whatever toys and activities they engage in, try as much as you can to play them.

Preference or reinforcer assessment

A reinforcer assessment is conducted to identify the child's preferred items, whether food, toys, or other activities. Through this assessment, you will gradually gain a clearer understanding of what the preferred items are. Avoid conducting assessments that take a long time with them, as they may make them feel bored.

Location of materials

Preferred materials are placed on shelves in plain sight but out of easy reach, so that the specialist is the only way to obtain the item. This also greatly helps associate the specialist with preferred items. After that, when the child sees the specialist, they will know that they will get their preferred items instead of the specialist being associated only with work.

Delivering reinforcers

Make sure to deliver reinforcers for free, meaning the child is not required to do something specific in order to receive the reinforcer. It is preferred that the reinforcer be available and close to the specialist so that they can give it to the child whenever they want without delay.

No deprivation

When the specialist pairs as a reinforcer, remember that you do not want to place demands on the child; in addition, you do not want to deprive them of the enjoyment of playing. Therefore, the child must be allowed to explore and find new ways for games and activities. Make sure to join in playing with them. If the child becomes uninterested in the game/activity, immediately try to find a new, more enjoyable game or activity.

Work area

For example, if you want to work with the child at a table, make sure to associate reinforcers with the table so that the table becomes an enjoyable place for the child. If you notice the child trying to escape and avoid the table, this suggests that pairing was not done properly and must be adjusted. Take great care not to make work time an aversive time for them.

Pairing with the child is very important and must be prioritized, as it reduces unwanted behaviors such as escape. Based on clinical experience, pairing also greatly helps in assessment and its accuracy, as well as in setting appropriate goals and the way they are worked on. Therefore, it is recommended, and I hope it holds a significant place in the programs offered to practitioners.

Practical Method

The duration of pairing usually does not exceed four days, and below is a practical description of how pairing is done.

Day One

The practitioner introduces themselves to the child, then observes the child with a focus on noticing how the child spends their time and how they play with the toys in their environment, trying to join them in play without asking the child to do any work.

Day Two

The practitioner starts the session by greeting the child and then associating themselves with the reinforcers available in their environment. The practitioner joins the child in their activities in their preferred places, for example playing with them on the swing in the garden or jumping with them on the trampoline, making sure to reinforce eye contact and interaction by praising them, such as: (Looking at me) (Excellent) (Thank you for letting me play with you), while trying to ask them to do very simple tasks such as imitation without overburdening them.

Day Three

The practitioner starts the session by greeting the child while helping them return the greeting, and pairs with reinforcers while controlling them, making yourself the only path to access these reinforcers and spending more time in the work area with a gradual, slight increase in tasks so that they exceed play time. Reinforce the child by praising them or providing preferred reinforcers like candy when they independently demonstrate preferred behaviors, while working to create integrated functional play.

Day Four

The practitioner begins the session by greeting the child while waiting for them to return the greeting or helping them. On this day, the practitioner ensures to bring a bag of new toys suited to the child's abilities, presents the new toys to them, and then links the toys to tasks requested from the child in order to obtain the toys. For example, if the child grabs the toy, they are asked to play with it properly to receive it, taking into account the speed of delivering the toy when they perform what was requested of them. If the child is verbal, the toy is given when they say the name of the toy, or if they name a specific activity like (Up) so that you lift them off the floor, because the requesting method is the first step in teaching new skills and increasing the amount of social reinforcers, and then gradually increasing tasks until the child becomes more accustomed to the work atmosphere and its increase. Play more with the child, and over time playing with them will turn into a reinforcer after they complete tasks as required.

References:

.http://www.iloveaba.com/2013/05/pairing.html

.https://nspt4kids.com/therapy/what-is-pairing-advice-for-pediatric-therapists/

Originally published in Arabic. This English version was produced with AI-assisted translation; the Arabic original remains the reference.