From Preference Assessments to Participation: Rethinking Motivation in Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions

One of the defining differences between traditional Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) intervention and Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs), such as the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), is how motivation is conceptualized, assessed, and sustained.

This is an important distinction that is often overlooked. Rather than suggesting that formal preference assessments are "wrong," it is more accurate to recognize that they represent different assessment systems designed for different intervention philosophies.

In many traditional ABA programs, motivation is identified through formal preference assessments, such as:

• Paired Stimulus Preference Assessments

• Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement (MSWO)

• Multiple Stimulus With Replacement (MSW)

• Free Operant Preference Assessments

These assessments are designed to identify highly preferred items that can later be used as reinforcers during teaching.

Within the ESDM, however, the guiding question shifts dramatically. Instead of asking: "What item can I use to reinforce learning?"

We ask: "What is motivating this child right now, and how can we build learning within that motivation?"

That subtle shift changes the entire purpose of assessment.

Instead of identifying reinforcers, we are assessing a child's availability for social learning.

Why Social Attention Matters More Than Preferred Objects

One of the hallmarks of early autism is a difference in social attention and social motivation. Many young autistic children naturally attend more readily to objects, movement, sensory experiences, or predictable patterns than they do to people. As a result, they may spend long periods engaged with toys or activities without frequently shifting their attention to another person to share enjoyment, seek information, or invite interaction.

From a developmental perspective, this matters because most early learning occurs through other people.

Long before children learn language, they learn by:

• watching faces

• imitating actions

• following another person's gaze or point

• sharing smiles

• anticipating routines

• coordinating attention

• participating in reciprocal interactions

These everyday social experiences create thousands of natural learning opportunities. When a child's attention remains primarily focused on objects, those opportunities become less frequent—not because the child lacks the capacity to learn, but because they have fewer opportunities to learn with and from another person. This is one of the reasons the Early Start Denver Model places such a strong emphasis on Sensory Social Routines (People Play). During people play there are no toys competing for the child's attention. Instead, the adult becomes the most interesting part of the interaction. Songs, movement games, bouncing, tickles, chase games, fingerplays, and playful routines help children discover that people themselves are enjoyable, predictable, and rewarding partners.

These shared experiences build the social attention and social motivation that support later communication, imitation, play, executive functioning, and learning.

Why Traditional Preference Assessments Miss This Opportunity

Traditional preference assessments play an important role within many behavioral programs because they help identify items that may function as reinforcers. However, they provide relatively little information about how a child learns socially.

Most standardized preference assessments are intentionally designed so the clinician has minimal interaction with the child while preferences are being assessed. The clinician presents objects, records selections, and avoids influencing the child's choices. Although this approach increases the reliability of identifying preferred items, it also removes the opportunity to observe how the child participates with another person.

As a result, these assessments tell us very little about the child's ability to:

• share attention with another person

• coordinate gaze between objects and people

• initiate or respond during reciprocal interactions

• communicate within a shared routine

• learn through social modeling

• sustain engagement with a play partner

• build relationships through shared experiences

Most importantly, the assessment itself does not create the type of interaction the ESDM is designed to strengthen.

The child is primarily making choices between objects, rather than participating in meaningful social interaction with another person. Within the ESDM, the toy is not the endpoint. It becomes the bridge to connection.

Motivation Is Dynamic, Not Static

Unlike formal preference assessments that capture a child's preferences at one point in time, the ESDM recognizes that motivation changes continuously.

The toy a child loved two minutes ago may suddenly lose its appeal.

The bubbles that were exciting may become less interesting than climbing under the table.

A spinning wheel may become pretend driving.

A favorite song may suddenly turn into a game of chase.

Rather than stopping the interaction to administer another assessment, ESDM clinicians continuously evaluate motivation throughout the interaction.

They are constantly observing:

• What is the child looking at?

• What are they reaching toward?

• What are they smiling about?

• What are they trying to accomplish?

• What actions are they repeating?

• What sensory experiences appear enjoyable?

• When does engagement increase?

• When does engagement decrease?

• When do they shift their attention toward another person?

Motivation becomes an ongoing source of clinical information. Assessment never stops.

Following the Child's Lead

Within the ESDM, motivation is not something we discover once at the beginning of a session. It is something we continuously negotiate together. The clinician follows the child's interests while thoughtfully expanding them into opportunities for shared engagement.

For example, a child repeatedly spins the wheels on a toy car.

Rather than interrupting the behavior to present a teaching trial, the clinician notices the child's interest in spinning and joins the activity. They spin another wheel, imitate the movement, add playful sound effects, pause expectantly, introduce turn-taking, and gradually expand the interaction into driving, crashing, racing, or pretend play.

The original interest remains. The learning expands.

Co-Constructing Activities

This illustrates one of the defining characteristics of the ESDM: co-construction. The interaction is neither entirely child-led nor entirely adult-directed. Instead, both partners contribute.

The child brings:

• interests

• ideas

• communication

• sensory preferences

• curiosity

The adult brings:

• developmental objectives

• teaching strategies

• language

• playful variation

• structure

• social interaction

Together they build an activity that neither could have created alone.

Learning emerges through the relationship.

Continuous Participation Assessment

Rather than periodically administering preference assessments, ESDM clinicians continuously evaluate participation throughout every Joint Activity Routine.

The questions become:

• Is the child becoming more socially available?

• Are they shifting attention between the activity and their partner?

• Are they sharing enjoyment?

• Are they initiating?

• Are they responding?

• Are they influencing the interaction?

• Are they remaining engaged?

• Are they accepting variations?

• Are they learning with another person?

Teaching and assessment occur simultaneously.

A Developmental Perspective on Motivation

From a developmental perspective, our goal is not simply to identify what motivates a child. Our goal is to help the child become increasingly available to learn with and from other people.

Motivation is not a fixed property of a toy or activity. It is a dynamic, relational process that unfolds through shared experiences. Within the ESDM, clinicians continuously observe the child's evolving interests, follow their lead, and thoughtfully expand those interests into Joint Activity Routines where communication, regulation, play, executive functioning, and social connection develop together.

Rather than measuring what a child prefers, we are measuring something far more meaningful: the child's growing capacity to participate, engage, and build relationships through everyday interactions.

This is the heart of the ESDM philosophy. It recognizes that learning is not driven solely by reinforcement—it is driven by relationships. Every interaction becomes an opportunity to strengthen a child's ability to connect, communicate, think flexibly, and learn alongside another person. Ultimately, our goal is not simply to discover what captures a child's attention, but to help them discover the joy of shared attention, shared experiences, and shared learning.