Analysis and treatment of finger sucking.

Two children who sucked their fingers all day took part.

One child wore a soft glove all waking hours.

The other child wore the glove plus a small wrist box that beeped each time the hand reached the mouth.

The team tracked finger-sucking minute by minute until it stopped.

The glove alone ended finger sucking for the first child in a few days.

The glove plus beeper ended finger sucking for the second child right away.

Both children kept the habit away for the rest of the study.

The quick drop shows the behavior was kept alive only by the feel in the mouth, not by attention or food.

Matson et al. (1994) used oven mitts only after hand-mouthing and called it punishment. Nasr et al. (2000) used a glove all day and called it sensory extinction. Same tool, different rule: mitts after the act punish; glove before the act blocks the feel.

Thakore et al. (2024) copied the glove idea but added response interruption and redirection for a child with autism. The extra step shows the glove plan can travel from typical kids to kids with delays.

Cannella et al. (2006) looked at 23 papers and found gloves or mitts work best when the feel is the only payoff. Nasr et al. (2000) is one clear example inside that bigger picture.

If a child sucks fingers for the feel, start cheap: try a thin cotton glove first.

If the drop is only partial, snap on a tiny buzzer or beeper to make the child notice each reach.

You avoid bitter polish, restraints, or long hours of blocking, and the same glove can later help kids with autism who mouth their hands.