A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF EMPIRICALLY DERIVED CONSEQUENCES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PICA

Individualized treatment packages were developed for 3 children with h igh-rate severe pica using a discrimination training paradigm and a be havioral assessment-based procedure known as empirically derived conse quences. Children received empirically derived reinforcers for eating under appropriate stimulus conditions (i.e., eating food only from a p late and placemat that served as a discriminative stimulus) and empiri cally derived punishers for attempts to engage in pica. This treatment package resulted in marked reductions in pica and an increase in appr opriate eating for all 3 children in a ''baited'' analogue condition, In addition, low rates of pica were maintained for 9 months for all 3 children. These results suggest that treatment effectiveness may be en hanced when behavioral assessment data are used to identify potent con sequences.