Parents may be reluctant to treat the feeding disorder of a chronically ill child who exhibits distressed behavior during feeding. In this study, we identified a child with chronic medical problems and a feeding disorder who cried during feedings. We introduced treatment components sequentially to address parental concerns about crying. First, we…

Expulsion (spitting out food) is a problem behavior observed in many children with feeding disorders. In the current investigation, we identified 4 children diagnosed with a feeding disorder who exhibited high rates of expulsion. Treatment with re-presentation (placing expelled liquids or solids back into the child's mouth) was not effective in…

Packing is a problematic mealtime behavior that is characterized by pocketing or holding solids or liquids in the mouth without swallowing. In the current study, we examined the effects of a chaser, a liquid or solid consistently accepted and swallowed by the child, to decrease packing of solid foods in 3 children with feeding disorders. During…

Little is known about the characteristics of meals that serve as motivating operations (MOs) for escape behavior. In the current investigation, we showed that the distance at which a therapist held a spoon from a child's lips served as an MO for escape behavior. Based on these results, we implemented spoon distance fading, compared fading with and…

We compared the effects of escape extinction (EE) plus noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) with sensory integration therapy as treatment for the feeding problems of 2 children. Results indicated that EE plus NCR was more effective in increasing acceptance, decreasing inappropriate behavior, and increasing amount consumed relative to sensory…

Functional analyses identified children whose inappropriate mealtime behavior was maintained by escape and adult attention. Function-based extinction procedures were tested individually and in combination. Attention extinction alone did not result in decreases in inappropriate mealtime behavior or a significant increase in acceptance. By contrast,…

Positive- and negative-reinforcement-based procedures typically have targeted acceptance for children with severe food refusal; however, these procedures do not always result in successful swallowing. Once acceptance is achieved, some children expel the food repeatedly or pack (hold or pocket) it in their mouths for extended periods of time. This…

We evaluated the effects of escape extinction with and without a high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence on food acceptance and inappropriate behavior for children diagnosed with feeding problems. The high-p sequence consisted of three presentations of a response that was similar topographically (i.e., presentations of an empty nuk[R],…

A study conducted functional analyses of the elopement of three children (ages 4-11) with developmental disabilities. The results identified a maintaining reinforcer for the elopement of one child and reinforcer assessments clarified the reinforcers for the other two. Results of the assessments were then used to develop successful treatments.…

The sleep-wake cycles of 4 developmentally delayed individuals (ages 3-19) with severe sleep disturbances were regulated using a faded bedtime procedure with response cost. Following treatment, all four increased their amounts of nighttime sleep; two decreased their excessive daytime sleep; and three decreased their night wakings. (Author/JDD)

Assessed main and collateral effects of the assessment and treatment of attention-maintained self-injury, with regard to four categories of behavior: self-injury, a novel mand, pre-existing prosocial responses, and other aberrant responses. Results suggest that self-injury, prosocial responses, and other abberant behaviors are within the same…

The escape-maintained destructive behavior of an 8-year-old girl with mental retardation persisted during hygiene routines with directive prompting, differential reinforcement for compliance, and extinction as treatment. Using nondirective prompting and noncontingent reinforcement, destructive behavior was reduced to near-zero levels during the…

A study of an 11-year-old boy with autism and mild mental retardation found that his escape-maintained destructive behavior was reduced during instructional sequences with differential reinforcement of compliance, escape extinction without physical guidance, and demand fading. The procedure decreased destructive behaviors to near-zero levels and…

The food refusal of a 6-year-old girl with autism and destructive behavior was treated using stimulus fading, reinforcement, and escape extinction. Intake increased, and compliance with prompting procedures remained relatively stable despite the increased consumption requirement. (Author/CR)