The effects of a sensory extinction procedure on stereotypic sounds of two autistic children.

Two autistic children wore headphones during play sessions. White noise played through the phones blocked the sound of their own loud humming and squealing.

The researchers used an ABAB design. They turned the white noise on, off, on, off to see if stereotypy changed with the sound.

Vocal stereotypy dropped sharply when the white noise was on. Clapping and dropping toys stayed the same.

The effect was quick and reversed each time the noise stopped.

Murphy (1982) first showed that sensory input can reinforce stereotypy. Davison et al. (1984) tested one way to remove that input.

Carr et al. (2002) later paired white-noise ideas with response blocking and non-contingent reinforcement. Their package cut object mouthing after each part alone had failed.

Case-Smith et al. (2015) warned that most sensory tricks lack proof. The 1984 study is one of the few single-case tests they would count.

If a client hums or squeals for automatic reinforcement, try brief white-noise trials. Keep the headset on for a few minutes, then remove it. Track the vocal behavior each time. If it drops and returns, you likely found sensory reinforcement. Pair the mask with other skills like toy play to avoid silent side effects.