Brief Functional Analysis and Intervention Evaluation for Treatment of Saliva-Play

ABSTRACT

We conducted a brief (8 days) functional analysis to identify sources of control over persistent saliva-play displayed by a 6-year old child with autism in a school setting. The functional analysis suggested that saliva-play was maintained by automatic reinforcement, leading to an intervention evaluation (3 days) that compared two methods of providing alternative sensory consequences. Saliva-play was eliminated when the child had access to an acceptable form of oral stimulation, mouthing a chew object, but was unaffected when he chewed gum. We discussed the merits of brief functional analysis and intervention evaluation in applied settings, and clinical issues influencing the treatment of stereotypic behaviors that are automatically reinforced.

KEYWORDS:

• Functional analysis
• stereotypy
• automatic reinforcement
• autism
• male age 6