Effects of noncontingent sensory reinforcement on stereotypic behaviors in a child with posttraumatic neurological impairment.

A multiple baseline design across instructional sessions was used to evaluate the therapeutic effects of noncontingent sensory reinforcement on stereotypic behaviors (grabbing and mouthing objects) displayed by an 8-year-old child with posttraumatic neurological impairment. The programmed sensory reinforcement was oral stimulation made accessible to the child by allowing her to chew on a designated and acceptable stimulus. Treatment was associated with a decrease in both object-grabbing and object-mouthing behaviors to near-zero levels. At a 6-month follow-up, the behaviors were absent without the use of sensory reinforcement. Issues of treatment formulation and implementation are discussed.