Naturalistic Assessment of and Intervention for Mouthing Behaviors Influenced by Establishing Operations

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Abstract
This study provides an example of an innovative practice for the assessment and intervention of mouthing behaviors influenced by an establishing operation. The participant was a 6-year-old boy with multiple disabilities who was attending a self-contained class in his local school. A functional analysis embedded within five activities (i.e., alone time, task demand, play, circle, and eating) during the classroom's typical routine was conducted. Results of the functional analysis suggested mouthing was maintained by multiple functions and most frequently occurred during the alone time, circle time, and task demand activities. The functional analysis also revealed that the participant was more likely to mouth in the presence of an establishing operation (i.e., sinus infection). Preferred items were noncontingently offered using an antecedent choice intervention. Ongoing choices of preferred items resulted in reductions in mouthing, even in the presence of the establishing operation.