Rethinking Reward Charts: Supporting All Children with Compassion and Understanding.

Example reward chart

Reward charts are a popular tool for shaping behaviour, often used to reinforce positive actions by offering incentives. They are popular for a number of tasks - toilet training, reducing unwanted behaviours, increasing others such as on-task behaviour or 'following direction', across home, school and other environments. They're particularly common in school, in the same way that behaviour charts are used.

While they can be effective in some contexts, their use with some groups of children—such as those who are Neurodivergent —requires careful consideration. These children experience fluctuating capacities, meaning their ability to perform a task can change from day to day, hour to hour, due to factors beyond their control. When reward charts fail to account for these fluctuations, they can inadvertently harm self-esteem, self-efficacy, and emotional well-being.

The most important thing here is that there have always been, and likely will always be, undiagnosed neurodivergent children, or those that struggle with these sorts of methods for other reasons (e.g. trauma, or poor past experiences). Therefore, the potential pitfalls negate any perceived (short-term) positives in many instances.

Example Behaviour Chart (from "What the Teacher Wants")

Understanding Fluctuating Capacities

For neurodivergent individuals, capacity is not a fixed trait, but rather a dynamic state influenced by sensory input, emotional regulation, executive functioning, fatigue, and external demands. A child who successfully completes a task one day may struggle the next, not due to a lack of effort or willingness, but because their capacity has shifted.

Reward charts often operate under the assumption that consistent effort leads to consistent results, but this is not the reality for many neurodivergent children. When a child is unable to complete a task and sees their progress on a reward chart stall—or worse, regress—it can lead to feelings of frustration, shame, and learned helplessness.

Instead of motivating, the chart may become a source of anxiety, reinforcing the false belief that they are failing despite their best efforts.

Sometimes your capacity to just "do the thing" is that of an expresso cup, other times it's a Grande.

The Impact on Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy

Self-esteem and self-efficacy—the belief in one’s ability to succeed—are crucial for lifelong resilience. When neurodivergent children consistently experience failure due to factors outside their control, they may begin to internalise negative messages about their abilities.

This can manifest as:

• Avoidance behaviours: Refusing to attempt tasks for fear of failure.

• Negative self-perception: Believing they are "lazy" or "bad" because they cannot meet expectations.

• Reduced intrinsic motivation: Relying solely on external rewards rather than developing confidence in their own capabilities.

  
  

Over time, these experiences can contribute to anxiety, depression, and difficulties with self-regulation, hence making it even harder for the child to engage in the tasks being rewarded.

Scaffolding Instead of Penalising (For more on this, see our blog titles "Resilience: Scaffolding, not Scolding")

Rather than focusing on reward charts as a primary tool, consider a scaffolded approach that supports the child’s fluctuating capacities.

This means:

1. Adjusting Expectations Dynamically – Recognise that a child's capacity will change, and tailor expectations accordingly. Some days, brushing teeth independently might be achievable; other days, they may need reminders or assistance.

2. Shifting from Outcomes to Effort – Instead of rewarding completion of a task, focus on engagement and perseverance. Celebrate progress without penalising struggles.

3. Using Strength-Based Reinforcement – Encourage success by aligning tasks with the child’s strengths and interests. If a child loves movement, incorporating a sensory break before a challenging task can increase their ability to engage.

4. Providing Alternative Supports – Visual schedules, sensory regulation tools, and co-regulation strategies often work better than reward charts in helping neurodivergent children succeed.

5. Fostering Self-Compassion – Teach children that struggling does not mean failing. Encourage self-reflection: "What helped you do this yesterday? What might help today?"

While reward charts may seem like a simple solution for encouraging positive behaviours, they can unintentionally disadvantage neurodivergent children by ignoring the reality of fluctuating capacities. A more supportive approach involves understanding the individual child, adjusting expectations with compassion, and fostering an environment where effort is recognised and self-worth is not tied to performance. By doing so, we build genuine self-efficacy and resilience—qualities that will serve neurodivergent children far beyond the momentary reinforcement of a sticker or a star.