ABSTRACT
An evaluation of the awareness enhancement device (AED) described by Rapp, Miltenberger, and Long (1998) was conducted with 2 children who engaged in thumb sucking past the age at which it was developmentally appropriate. The AED effectively suppressed thumb sucking for both children. Future research evaluating the AED is discussed.
Subject(s)
Awareness , Child Behavior Disorders/prevention & control , Equipment and Supplies/standards , Fingersucking/psychology , Adolescent , Child , Extinction, Psychological , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
We analyzed and treated the finger sucking of 2 developmentally typical children aged 7 and 10 years. The functional analysis revealed that the finger sucking of both children was exhibited primarily during alone conditions, suggesting that the behavior was maintained by automatic reinforcement. An extended analysis provided support for this hypothesis and demonstrated that attenuation of stimulation produced by the finger sucking resulted in behavior reductions for both children. Treatment consisted of having each child wear a glove on the relevant hand during periods when he or she was alone. Use of the glove produced zero levels of finger sucking for 1 participant, whereas only moderate reductions were obtained for the other. Subsequently, an awareness enhancement device was used that produced an immediate reduction in finger sucking.