By Tameika N. Martin, M.S., LBA, BCBA
Founder & Clinical Director, M’Aiken Bright Futures
🌟 Introduction: The Tablet Takeover
If you’ve ever worked with a child who will do anything for their tablet—but nothing without it—you’re not alone.
Many ABA professionals encounter clients whose motivation narrows until one reinforcer—often a tablet—takes complete control. Tablets can be powerful tools for engagement and learning, but when they become the only source of reinforcement, we run into a host of challenges: decreased motivation for other activities, dependency on technology, and even behavioral escalations when access is restricted.
Let’s talk about why this happens, what it teaches us about motivation, and how to reshape reinforcement in a way that supports progress and preserves sanity for both the client and the team.
🧠 Why It Happens: The Power of the Tablet
Tablets are designed to reinforce. They’re colorful, responsive, predictable, and—most importantly—under the child’s control.
They offer:
- Instant gratification (videos, sounds, animation, etc.)
- Predictable outcomes (they always “work”)
- Autonomy (the child decides what to watch or play)
- Endless novelty (new content means it never loses appeal)
For children with autism or limited repertoires, these characteristics make tablets uniquely reinforcing. But the same qualities that make them motivating can also make them overpowering—diminishing the value of everything else.
⚙️ Common Challenges Seen in Practice
When tablet access dominates reinforcement, you might observe:
- Disinterest in other toys or social play
- Increased SIB or aggression when tablet access is restricted
- Escape or elopement during non-tablet tasks
- Loss of instructional control
- Difficulty generalizing reinforcement across settings
It’s not unusual to find that even well-structured preference assessments or modeling sessions fail when the tablet overshadows everything else.
💡 Strategies That Work (and Why)
1. Rebuild the Reinforcer Hierarchy
Conduct structured preference assessments—but adapt your approach.
If removing the tablet triggers distress, keep it within sight or incorporate tablet-related cues (like the case, stylus, or favorite icon). These can serve as transitional stimuli that bridge the gap between the tablet and other reinforcers.
The goal isn’t to eliminate the tablet—it’s to expand what “counts” as reinforcing.
2. Integrate the Tablet Into Learning
Rather than fighting against technology, use it to your advantage.
Create digital learning opportunities such as:
- Guided access apps for DTT or receptive labeling
- Digital token boards or interactive matching games
- Reward-based “tablet missions” where the client completes a short task before earning a video
By embedding the tablet into structured learning, you shift it from a free-access item to a controlled reinforcement system—teaching delayed gratification and strengthening stimulus control.
3. Pair and Fade: The One-Minute Rule
Start by pairing short bursts of new activities with brief, guaranteed tablet access.
Example:
- 1 minute of play with blocks → 1 minute of tablet time
- Then gradually extend to 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and beyond
This method uses behavioral momentum to build tolerance and introduces the idea that reinforcement can be earned through varied effort—not just immediate tablet access.
4. Stay Within the Digital Domain—At First
If a child only finds digital stimuli reinforcing, meet them there. Build a preference hierarchy within the digital world.
- Identify preferred vs. neutral apps
- Note music vs. visual content preferences
- Rotate between passive watching and active participation (e.g., tapping, matching, following directions)
Once variety exists within the tablet itself, you can start connecting those digital experiences to real-world play (e.g., matching digital animals to toy animals).
5. Collaborate With Caregivers
Caregivers often allow unlimited tablet access to avoid meltdowns—and understandably so. But unrestricted access reduces reinforcement value and makes transitions harder.
Help families establish structure without deprivation:
- Create visual schedules that show when tablet time happens
- Use token systems to reinforce appropriate requests for access
- Model calm, consistent transitions
- Reinforce flexibility and “waiting” behaviors at home
Reinforcement should feel predictable, not punitive.
🚫 Avoid These Common Pitfalls
- Don’t abruptly remove tablet access without replacement strategies
- Don’t assume extinction will “break the dependency”
- Don’t push alternative play too early without pairing—it often increases avoidance
- Don’t forget parent training—consistency is key for long-term success
🌈 The Bigger Picture: Building Reinforcement Flexibility
The goal isn’t to take away what motivates the client—it’s to grow their motivational world.
By honoring their interests, reinforcing flexibility, and introducing variety systematically, we teach more than just skills—we teach adaptability. And adaptability, in the world of behavior, is gold.
This is what ABA at its best looks like: compassionate, creative, and individualized.
💬 Reflection Questions for Practitioners
- How can I use my client’s strongest motivator as a bridge rather than a barrier?
- What does flexibility look like for this learner—and how can I measure it?
- Are my reinforcement strategies teaching tolerance, not just compliance?
📚 Key Takeaways
✅ Adapt preference assessments rather than abandoning them
✅ Embed technology into structured teaching
✅ Pair and gradually fade tablet access
✅ Create reinforcement variety within the digital domain
✅ Train caregivers for consistent reinforcement control
Author:
Tameika N. Martin, M.S., LBA, BCBA
Founder | Clinical Director, M’Aiken Bright Futures
Empowering families through compassionate, evidence-based ABA in South Carolina 🌟