Reduction of disruptive mealtime behavior by facial screening. A case study of a mentally retarded girl with long-term follow-up.

A teacher placed a small terry-cloth bib over an 11-year-old girl’s face for five seconds each time she banged her spoon on the table. The girl had an intellectual disability and the loud banging disrupted the whole classroom lunch.

The team ran an ABAB reversal. They measured spoon banging across baseline, facial screen, return to baseline, then facial screen again. Follow-up checks ran for 19 months.

Spoon banging stopped the first day the bib went on. It stayed near zero while the screen was in place and returned each time the screen was removed. After the final return to treatment, the behavior stayed gone for the rest of the school year and every monthly check the next year.

Hartz et al. (2020) used the same ABAB design to stop spitting in an autistic boy. They added reinforcement for keeping his mouth closed and a brief time-out. Both studies show quick, large drops in loud mealtime behavior when a mild consequence follows each response.

Firth et al. (2001) and Dougherty et al. (1996) took the opposite path. They increased food acceptance with physical guidance and non-removal of the spoon. Horton (1987) shows you can also work on the noise first; once banging is gone, you can move to acceptance programs without the table sounding like a drum.

Saini et al. (2024) give you a 10-minute screen to find the reason for food refusal before you pick any tactic. If escape from bites keeps the spoon quiet, facial screening may not be needed; if the child is simply excited by the sound, a quick cover still works.

You now have a zero-cost, zero-talk tool that stops loud utensil play in minutes. Keep a clean wash-cloth or small bib in your lunch kit. The moment the spoon hits the table, place it over the child’s face for a slow five-count, then lift and resume the meal. No chairs moved, no escape blocked, no extra staff. Try it once; if banging drops, keep the brief consequence and watch the peace last all year.