When people hear the word “reward,” they often imagine sticker charts, treasure boxes, or candy.

However, there’s a common issue all three of these rewards share: they get kids excited.

When you introduce rewards that gain high temporary excitement, it can make transitioning to the next task even harder.

Common phrases I have heard:

• “But I wanted the other sticker!”
• “I want to play with it now!”
• “I didn’t want this one!”

When you bring unpredictability into a neurodivergent child’s life, you may trigger distress or anxiety.

If the child in question was already working hard to earn the reward, they may already be too mentally exhausted to manage their big feelings effectively.

So, it’s important to give predictability and routine to rewards when possible.

Another way to avoid too much excitement or disappointment is to do rewards like high fives, fist bumps, or hugs. You want the reward to communicate pride, not to overtake the whole experience and leave the child remembering only the overexcitement or confusion.

Two Methods, Different Goals

As you consider the method of rewarding your child, note the type of communication you have with them. See them daily? Weekly? Monthly?

The number of times you see the child will influence whether delayed or immediate rewards are better suited for your situation.

When doing rewards, there are two different ways you can introduce them: Immediate rewards or delayed rewards. Neither type is more “right” or “wrong”; they just serve different purposes.

For example, if a therapist only sees a child once a week, a delayed goal will have less effect because there aren’t enough meetings to help build chances for the reward.

But if it’s a primary guardian doing a reward, it will be easier to do a delayed reward, and you can slowly benchmark the overall goal throughout the week.

My unique spin on immediate rewards is to give choices. This gives them a sense of control so their focus isn’t on any uncertainty because they are instead focused on the choice they are making.

In our downloads below, we have both immediate and delayed reward sections for you to use.