A Procedure of Gradual Exposure to Swallowing Pills in a Pre-Teen with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Brunella Voltarelli, Sara Nutini, Roberta Tre Re, Adele Carpitelli
Having difficulty swallowing pills is a common problem in the pediatric population. Many children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present difficulty and an elevated level of distress when swallowing pills. The purpose of this study was to teach a young girl with autism spectrum disorder (DSM-5, APA, 2013) how to swallow pills using gradual exposure through shaping procedures and positive reinforcement by monitoring distress levels. The 11-year-old, presenting with the verbal development of a self-editing writer-as own-reader (Greer & Ross, 2008), and attending her first year of secondary school, has a long history of avoidance and heightened levels of agitation from swallowing pills. For this study, a changing criterion design of a single subject was used (Cooper, Heron & Hewart, 2007; Hartman & Hall, 1976). The results of this study demonstrate how gradual exposure to pill-swallowing, in line with the literature analysed, can be an efficient and effective strategy to teach children with ASD to swallow pills, reducing their levels of distress.
Keywords
Gradual exposure, Autism, Shaping, Changing criterion design, Adolescence.
