Carley Rector

The MSWO preference assessment I conducted with Nick was a

success. I had previously decided to use a MSWO format because of
Nicks short attention span. I felt it would be most appropriate for Nick
to participate in the least time consuming type of assessment. Through
this, I was able to identify the top two items that Nick most prefers. It
was derived that Nick mostly prefers the puppet. Nick also responded
well to the screwdriver. I will be able to use this information when
reinforcing Nick. It is important that students actually want the
reinforcers we are offering. If they dont prefer the reinforcer, they
wont be willing to work towards earning the object. Identifying that

Nick likes the puppet is also useful when prompting him to play
interactively. One of his IEP goals is to interact with his peers. If he was
provided with his favorite toy, he will be more willing to play with
others in hopes that he will get a turn with the puppet. A final way this
information can be utilized is to recognize that Nick does not prefer the
toy car. We should shy away from reinforcing Nick with time designated
to playing with cars.
This specific assessment technique had a variety of strengths
and weaknesses. One strength, and the main reason I chose this
assessment type, is that is it relatively quick. It does not take too much
time away from class to pull a student out and perform a MSWO type
of assessment. Another strength is that the teacher can identify more
than one preferred item. The teacher can create a repertoire of items
the student enjoys. One weakness I noticed was that Nick did not like
choosing just one toy when it came to the final 2. Each of the three
trials he tried to grab the Lego and car simultaneously. Another
weakness is that you are not able to see how long the toy engages the
student. In some types of preference assessments, the teacher can see
if the child not only likes the toy, but, has the ability to play with it for
long periods of time.
Overall, I believe the preference assessment was a success. I
was able to carry out all three trials with ease to identify toys that Nick
prefers. If I had to do it over again, I would stick with the MSWO format.

Student for Preference Assessment: Nick, 4 years old, in PPCD

classroom
Assessment Type: MSWO
Reasoning: I have chosen a multiple-stimulus without replacement
(MSWO) type of preference assessment because Nicks attention span
does not last long. If we were to do a free operant or single stimulus
type of assessment, Nick wouldnt play with any toy for too long. If we
did a paired stimulus, Nick may get tired of the assessment and stop
cooperating. This type of assessment does not last long which will also
fit into the schedule of the classroom; where we move from one
activity or place to another every 10 minutes. I feel that the MSWO
format will give the most accurate view of his preferences in the most
efficient manner
Item

Trial 1:
Order
Chosen

Trial 1:
Points

Trial 2:
Order
Chosen

Trial 2:
Points

Legos
Magnets
Cars
Screwdriver
Puppets

5
3
4
2
1

1
3
2
4
5

4
3
5
1
2

2
3
1
5
4

The point value will be as followed:

Chosen 1st: 5 points
Chosen 2nd: 4 points
Chosen 3rd: 3 points
Chosen 4th: 2 points
Chosen 5th: 1point

Trial 3:
Order
Chose
n
4
3
5
2
1

Trial 3:
Points

Total

2
3
1
4
5

5
9
4
13
14