Functional Analysis and Treatment of Mealtime Problem Behavior for a Person with Developmental Disabilities

We conducted a functional analysis of problem behaviors (spitting and whining) during meals and tested an intervention based on that analysis. The participant was a 13-year-old young woman with severe mental retardation and cerebral palsy. She ate all food presented to her, and the hypotheses were tested that the problem behaviors were maintained either by contingent access to trainer attention or the pace of eating. An attention analysis examined the relationship between problem behavior and trainer attention during the meal. The effect of attention following problem behavior versus ignoring was inconclusive. An analysis of the effects of teacher paced eating, student paced eating (reinforce spoon grasping) and food presented for problem behavior was conducted next. Problem behavior rates were highest when access to food was made contingent on the performance of problem behavior and lowest when spoon grasping resulted in a bite of food. Following analysis, an intervention was designed to reduce the frequency of targeted problem behaviors during mealtime. Reinforcing spoon grasping and a 10s removal of food following problem behavior dramatically reduced spitting and whining during meals. The study provides a demonstration of an extended functional analysis and treatment of a complex behavior pattern.