Treating Trichotillomania in a Toddler: Variations on Effective Treatments

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the effectiveness of variations of two treatments, attention reflection and aversive taste treatment, previously found to be successful for managing trichotillomania and simultaneous thumb sucking in an 18-month-old boy. Results indicate that a modified attention reflection procedure decreased both behaviors. However, an aversive taste treatment applied to the thumb only when preceded by hair pulling decreased thumb sucking and eliminated hair pulling. The discriminative effects of punishment and considerations for treating habits in small children when a targeted covarying behavior is developmentally normal are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Toddler trichotillomania
• thumb sucking
• aversive taste treatment
• attention reflection
• habits