Essay On Pica In People With Developmental Disabilities

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In 2004 McAdam et al considered pica in people with developmental disabilities , and ways to deal with this. The authors were aware that the eating of non-food items is common in those with developmental disabilities, and aware also of the dangers involved. They specifically mention damage to the gastro-intestinal tract, by blocking it, or even puncturing or tearing it. In some case the form pica takes is to eat dirt and this could result in infestation by parasites. The researchers felt that pica could interfere with a person’s quality of life, as well as their learning and ability to carry out tasks. They had considered twenty six separate studies which looked at behavioural interventions to overcome the problems. Methods used included the reinforcement of other behaviours and non-contingent attention. This means giving the person access to some kind of reinforcement, so that they are no longer so motivated to exhibit what is seen as negative behaviour . McAdam et al (2004) looked at both the effectiveness and the acceptability of the various interventions. The fact that they were able to examine twenty-four …show more content…

These are stated as including as a belief that the substance is edible, as some of these children have a problem differentiating food from non-food items. It was felt though that the most common reason for pica is sensory feedback, also referred to as automatic reinforcement, that is to say the children derive some pleasure form the experience of eating these unusual substances. In some cases the desire to eat these non-foods is driven by having low levels of zinc or iron, which can be alleviated by giving supplements, an indication that every child displaying symptoms of pica, should have blood tests to eliminate these possibilities. Pica was not found commonly to be simply a way of getting attention , nor does it develop because the child cannot communicate what they

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