Using a self-control training procedure to increase appropriate behavior.

Eisenmajer et al. (1998) worked with adults who have developmental delays.

The team wanted to teach the adults to wait for a bigger reward instead of grabbing a small one right away.

They started with two choices: a tiny reward now or a large reward after a short wait. Then they slowly made the wait for the large reward longer.

Every adult learned to pick the large, delayed reward once the wait time grew step by step.

Before the training they acted "impulsively"; after the training they showed "self-control."

The shift happened quickly while both choices were still available, so no one had to sit through long empty waits.

Attwood et al. (1988) seems to disagree. They saw that longer fixed-interval schedules made stereotypy jump in similar adults. The difference: A lengthened the schedule for the only reward, while R kept both rewards immediate at first and only stretched the delay for the larger one.

Taylor et al. (1993) showed that even babies can wait if they already pause on fixed-interval schedules, proving the basic effect exists before any training.

Grindle et al. (2002) later extended the idea to autistic children in discrete-trial lessons, using a 5-second delay plus cues to keep learning strong.

You can use this progressive-delay trick any time a client grabs the first reinforcer they see. Start with tiny delays, then stretch the wait for the better item. The client stays engaged because the preferred reward still shows up quickly at first. Over a single session you can fade from 0 s to 30 s and watch self-control replace impulsive grabs.