Analysis and Treatment of Body-rocking for One Student with Mental Retardation

The present study included three experiments that functionally analyzed body-rocking behavior for one student with mental retardation. After direct observations for the student's stereotypic rocking responses in classrooms, an analogue functional analysis was conducted in Experiment 1 to assess the function of his rocking behaviors which might be maintained by social or sensory reinforcement. The results showed that his body-rocking occurred frequently only in alone conditions suggesting that sensory consequences might serve to maintain such aberrant behavior. An analysis of sensory modalities was conducted in Experiment 2 to further analyze the specific sensory consequences causing the student's rocking responses. Results indicated that specific function of body-rocking behavior in this student was maintained by back-tactile or foot-tactile stimulation. After preference object assessment, the most favorite object was used in Experiment 3 to compete with specific sensory consequences maintaining the student's rocking behavior. Results of the present study demonstrated the most favorite object could be effectively used to reduce this student's body-rocking responses.