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. 2009 Summer;42(2):381-5.
doi: 10.1901/jaba.2009.42-381.

Chewing gum as a treatment for rumination in a child with autism

Denise Rhine  1 , Jonathan Tarbox
Affiliations

Chewing gum as a treatment for rumination in a child with autism

Denise Rhine et al. J Appl Behav Anal. 2009 Summer.

Abstract

Rumination involves regurgitation of previously ingested food, rechewing the food, and reswallowing it. In the current study, a child with autism displayed chronic rumination, resulting in the decay and subsequent removal of several teeth. After several treatments failed, including thickened liquids and starch satiation, the participant was taught to chew gum. His rumination decreased significantly when gum was made available. Results suggest that access to chewing gum may be an effective treatment for rumination in some individuals.

Keywords: autism; chewing gum; rumination.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hourly rates of rumination in gum-chewing (filled circles) and no-gum (open squares) conditions. Session duration was gradually increased to 120 min across the course of treatment. The final three data points represent follow-up data at 1, 2, and 3 months posttreatment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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