Recent advances in applied research on DRO procedures

Jessel and team read every DRO paper from 2010 to 2016. They grouped the studies by how the schedule was set up. They wrote a story about what those papers say DRO really does.

No new kids were tested. No new data were taken. This is a map of old maps.

DRO works best when the reinforcer is big and given right away. Momentary DRO is easier to run than whole-interval DRO. Most studies still use edible treats, not social praise.

The review ends with a call for more work on why DRO cuts problem behavior. It does not give effect sizes.

Pascale et al. (2025) took the next step. They paired DRO with self-monitoring in an Italian prison. Every inmate slashed destruction, self-harm, and aggression. The 2016 review only guessed that self-monitoring could help.

Gaucher et al. (2020) showed autistic preschoolers can learn to slow down under a DRL schedule. IQ and language skill predicted who adjusted best. The 2016 review talked about DRL as a cousin of DRO but had no child data.

Regnier et al. (2022) looked at how to keep token gains after tokens stop. They found thinning plus social praise or self-management works best. The 2016 DRO review never linked those maintenance tricks to DRO.

If you run DRO, pair it with self-monitoring like Pascale did. Check language and IQ before you try DRL with little kids. Plan your fade-out from day one using Regnier’s thinning plus praise recipe. This review is a quick refresher, but grab the original papers for real numbers.