Exploring Teachers' Familiarity and Perceptions of Preference Assessments

Using reinforcers and student preferences may contribute to appropriate academic and behavioral outcomes for students with disabilities. Special education teachers may identify potential reinforcers and student preferences by using preference assessment procedures, which are observation-based procedures to identify and rank student preferences. However, there is limited research on special education teachers' knowledge of preference assessments and how frequently they use preference assessments in the classroom. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore special education preschool teachers' understanding, usage, and perception of preference assessment procedures. Seven special education preschool teachers in Indiana participated in study interviews. Findings revealed that teachers had little to no understanding or a very broad understanding of preference assessments, and they rarely implemented preference assessments in their classroom. Teachers believed that preference assessments are a socially valid procedure for identifying reinforcers, but most teachers did not see a need to implement them often. Potential barriers for teachers' implementation of preference assessments are discussed.