Analysis of response allocation in individuals with multiple forms of stereotyped behavior.

The team worked with children who had autism or developmental delays. Each child showed several kinds of repetitive body movements.

The adults first watched to see which movement happened most often. They then blocked that top movement and gave the child toys that gave the same feeling. When the child played with the toys, they got praise or treats. This mix ran across three small tests.

Blocking the main stereotypy plus paying for toy play cut the body movements. At the same time, appropriate use of the toys went up.

The package worked for every child. Gains held while the team watched.

McMillan et al. (1997) showed that simply taking items away makes stereotypy pop up in new forms. Cerutti et al. (2004) added the next step: give matched toys and pay for using them. The earlier paper warns us; the later one solves the warning.

Slaton et al. (2025) now goes further. They use a chained schedule that teaches communication, tolerance, and work tasks. Stereotypy drops even more and schoolwork jumps above 80 %. The 2025 study updates the 2004 idea by folding in language and academic gains.

Steinhauser et al. (2021) moved the same logic into real classrooms. They paired brief redirection with DRA and cut stereotypy during lessons. Their field test says the 2004 lab recipe travels to group settings.

You can copy the three-step plan today: block the biggest stereotypy, hand a toy that feels the same, and reinforce play. The chain is simple, quick, and fits most desks or homes. If you want even bigger gains, add communication or work tasks like Slaton et al. (2025). Start small, then build up.