Management of chronic rumination with a contingent exercise procedure employing topographically dissimilar behavior.

Walking was employed as a functionally incompatible activity in a contingent exercise procedure to manage chronic rumination in a 10 year old mentally retarded male. The high frequency ruminative behavior was rapidly reduced once the topographically dissimilar activity was introduced as a contingency. On the first day the contingent exercise procedure was used in conjunction with a differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) 30-sec schedule. Thereafter the contingent exercise was used alone. The ruminative behavior appeared to be under the control of the contingency and remained at essentially a zero rate during the 4 month extended observation period as well as throughout the 6 month follow-up.