Re-instatement of regular defecation routines in a four-year-old boy

A four-and-a-half year old boy was withholding faeces for up to eight days. A programme of positive reinforcement contingent upon his being placed on the toilet according to a schedule was introduced. An operant technique of immediate, positive reinforcement was utilised to reward bowel movements. Results indicate that the reinstatement of a two-daily routine of defection was achieved after 48 days. The programme was introduced and maintained by the child's mother with no outside intervention in the routine.