Evaluation of a treatment for a hand-mouthing stereotypy

Abstract

A treatment procedure to reduce a hand-mouthing stereotypy was evaluated with three profoundly mentally retarded women. The procedure consisted of simple correction (a verbal reprimand and physically guiding the hands down) and differentially reinforcing the absence of hand-mouthing. The treatment procedure was initially effective for all three women and resulted in durable maintenance for two of them.