An Evaluation of Contingent Gum Chewing on Rumination Exhibited by an Adolescent with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Rumination is defined as repeated regurgitation of food, not attributed to other medical conditions. Some individuals with autism or other developmental disabilities engage in rumination, and it can lead to multiple health issues. Previous research demonstrated that noncontingent presentation of chewing gum could be an effective treatment for reducing ruminations. The current study evaluated the effects of noncontingent chewing gum and contingent gum on rumination of an adolescent boy with autism and the results suggest that both treatments were effective, but contingent gum resulted in the lowest rate of rumination. • Rumination can cause multiple health issues including malnutrition, weight loss, esophagitis, tooth decay, and abnormal gastrointestinal symptoms. • Rumination in individuals with autism is often automatically maintained. • Continuous noncontingent gum and contingent gum may be viable treatments for rumination. • Contingent gum may be a more practical intervention for rumination relative to continuous noncontingent gum.