Direct and generalized effects of food satiation in reducing rumination.
Free-access cereal and milk at meals can almost erase rumination and untreated self-stim in profoundly impaired clients.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Three adults with profound intellectual disability ruminate after every meal.
The team served them all the cereal and milk they wanted at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
They measured rumination and extra self-stim across ABAB reversals to see if the free food would help.
What they found
Rumination almost stopped when cereal and milk were unlimited.
Self-stimming also dropped without anyone treating it.
Two clients kept the gains while portions were slowly cut back to normal.
How this fits with other research
Rast et al. (1985) ran the same idea earlier with wheat bran. They showed starch, not just fullness, does the work.
Matson et al. (2011) swapped cereal for non-stop juice in a boy with autism. Rumination quit only while the cup stayed full, matching the instant drop seen here.
Grove et al. (2017) took a different path. They watched for three clear satiation cues instead of giving unlimited food. Both tactics cut problem behavior, proving the rule is "feel full" however you get there.
Why it matters
If you serve meals to clients who ruminate, try letting them eat cereal or another starch until they turn the bowl over. Track the behavior across days and phases so you can prove the change. Fade portions only after the data stay flat for several meals.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The effects of food satiation on rumination and a collateral self-stimulatory behavior were examined in three profoundly retarded individuals. For all three individuals, the provision of unlimited quantities of cereal and milk during mealtime resulted in reductions in rumination. Decreases were also seen in collateral behaviors for all three subjects, although these responses were not specifically treated. Rumination and self-stimulation increased during a withdrawal condition for the three individuals, with experimental control being regained once the satiation procedure was re-instituted. Fading of the satiation procedure also was successful in the two participants with whom it was attempted, although the specific strategy differed for the two subjects.
Research in developmental disabilities, 1990 · doi:10.1016/0891-4222(90)90003-q