BRIEF FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS AND TREATMENT OF A VOCAL TIC

• Published in: Journal of applied behavior analysis Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 471 - 474
• Main Authors: Watson, T. Steuart, Sterling, Heather E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 1998; Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
• Subjects: Behavior modification; Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Child, Preschool; clinic-based functional analysis; Cough - psychology; descriptive assessment; Female; functional analysis; Habits; Humans; Medical sciences; Power (Psychology); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Reinforcement Schedule; Reversal Learning; Speech disorders; Tic Disorders - psychology; Tic Disorders - rehabilitation; Treatment Outcome; Treatments; vocal tic; Human; Preschool age; Case study; Treatment; Functional analysis; Behavior therapy; Child; Tic; Behavioral disorder
• ISSN: 0021-8855; 1938-3703
• DOI: 10.1901/jaba.1998.31-471

This study sought to extend functional methodology to the assessment and treatment of habits. After a descriptive assessment indicated that coughing occurred while eating, a brief functional analysis suggested that social attention was the maintaining variable. Results demonstrated that treatment, derived from the assessment and analysis data, rapidly eliminated the cough. We discuss the appropriateness of using functional analysis procedures for deriving treatments for habits in a clinical setting.