Effects of Behavior Analytic Intervention on Post-Feeding Rumination in a Child With Phelan-McDermid Syndrome

This case report evaluated the effects of behavior analytic intervention on post-feeding rumination in a 10-year-old child with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (PMS), a genetic disorder associated with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities and co-occurring medical abnormalities. A preintervention functional analysis screening conducted with the child suggested that rumination was maintained by automatic reinforcement. Non-contingent reinforcement (NCR) consisting of fixed-time (FT) presentation of preferred foods was associated with decreased rumination within a concurrent multiple baseline design across lunch meals and snacks combined with a snack-only reversal design analysis. Low rumination rates continued during an intervention withdrawal phase (lunch) and a phase of systematic schedule fading (snack). Social validity measures reported by the child’s mother and therapists revealed positive acceptance and approval of the intervention plan.