Reduction of Rapid Eating in an Adolescent Female with Autism
A spoken 'wait' right after each bite is the active piece that makes a pager-plus-rule package slow rapid eating in teens with autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Page et al. (2017) worked with one high-school girl with autism who ate too fast. They gave her a vibrating pager and a simple rule: wait for the buzz before the next bite.
First they tried pager plus rule alone. Later they added a spoken 'wait' prompt right after each bite. They timed her in clinic and at home to see if bites slowed down.
What they found
The pager plus rule did almost nothing. Once the staff said 'wait' after every bite, the girl doubled her pause time between bites.
She kept the slower pace at home without extra coaching. The vocal prompt, not the buzzer, was the key piece.
How this fits with other research
Bigby et al. (2009) and Spanoudis et al. (2011) also used pocket electronics for mealtime skills, but their PDAs gave picture or video prompts to finish cooking tasks. Page shows that a cheaper pager plus one spoken word can work if the prompt is timed right.
Gentry et al. (2015) gave workers with autism an iPod Touch to cut job-coach time. Both studies tell us the device is just the shell; the prompt inside does the work.
Clark et al. (2020) taught parents to run structured meals for picky eating. Page adds a second feeding fix—slowing speed—that parents can copy with one simple cue.
Why it matters
You can slow rapid eating in under a week. Tape a cheap kitchen timer to the table or use a phone buzz. After each bite, say 'wait' and wait three seconds before the next. Start in clinic, then send the timer home with the family. One word, one pause, one skill mastered.
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Join Free →After the client swallows, say 'wait,' count to three, then nod for the next bite; fade to a silent finger count when pace stays slow.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Rapid eating, a potentially dangerous and socially inappropriate behavior, has received relatively little attention in the literature. This study sought to extend the research in this area by further evaluating the effectiveness of a vibrating pager combined with a rule for increasing inter-response time between bites in one adolescent female diagnosed with autism. Results indicated that inter-response time increased from baseline only after a vocal prompt to “wait” was introduced across clinic and home settings. Implications for promoting autonomy in individuals with developmental disabilities are discussed.This antecedent-based intervention can easily be generalized to caregiversThe unobtrusive nature of the intervention allows for implementation in inclusive settingsThere are implications for promoting social skills in naturalistic environmentsThe intervention can promote independence through teaching self-management This antecedent-based intervention can easily be generalized to caregivers The unobtrusive nature of the intervention allows for implementation in inclusive settings There are implications for promoting social skills in naturalistic environments The intervention can promote independence through teaching self-management
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2017 · doi:10.1007/s40617-016-0143-y