Functional analysis and treatment of the diurnal bruxism of a 16-year-old girl with autism.

A 16-year-old girl with autism ground her teeth during the day. Staff did a short functional analysis and saw the grinding stayed high even when no one reacted.

They tried one simple fix: any time she ground, an adult said, “Stop grinding.” No toys, no tokens, just the words.

The reprimand alone cut grinding by more than ninety percent. The drop lasted for weeks and still worked when new staff said the words.

Lang et al. (2013) also studied daytime grinding, but in a preschooler whose teeth-grinding got adult looks. They used functional communication training instead of a reprimand. Same behavior, different cause, different fix.

Lancioni et al. (2009) seems to disagree. They stopped spastic, repetitive movements in two boys by giving fun microswitch sounds, not by telling them to stop. The studies look opposite, yet both work. The key is the “why.” Amy’s grinding felt good on its own, so a quick “stop” worked. E’s boys moved for the sensory buzz, so giving buzz matched the need.

Gerow et al. (2019) show parents can run the same idea at home. They paired brief blocking with fun toys and cut toddler stereotypy. One word or a full package—both shrink automatic behavior when you stay consistent.

If a teen grinds for automatic feedback, try a calm reprimand first. It costs nothing, takes two seconds, and may remove the need for bulky gear or long protocols. Track for generalization with new people; the study shows the cue transfers easily.