Functional Analysis and Treatment of Hoarding in a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

A 12-year-old girl with autism kept every paper, toy, and wrapper. Her parents asked for help.

The team taught Mom and Dad to run a short functional analysis at home. They tested if the girl hoarded to get attention, to keep things, or to avoid clean-up.

After the FA showed the reason, parents used a three-part plan. They praised neat choices, set simple rules, and let her keep a small “yes” box. The study tracked hoarding across three item types.

Hoarding dropped to zero in four weeks. The girl now throws trash away and uses her “yes” box.

Two months later the gains held. Mom and Dad said meals and bedtime feel calmer.

Gerow et al. (2020) first showed parents can run a brief FA at home with toddlers. Sheen et al. (2025) stretch the same idea to an older child and a new problem: hoarding.

Byra et al. (2018) taught two preschoolers with ASD to wash hands and flush. Like the hoarding study, they used practice and praise and saw the skill carry over to home. Both prove parents can teach daily living skills when the plan is simple and concrete.

Scior et al. (2023) reviewed feeding studies and said we still don’t know when to start parent training. The hoarding paper gives a clear answer: start right after the FA, because the same parents who test the behavior can also treat it.

You no longer need a clinic to crack hoarding in autism. Train parents to do the FA, then hand them a short DR plan. One family ended hoarding in a month with no extra staff. Try this route before you book hours in the clinic.