Using Teacher Prompts and Habit Reversal to Reduce Fingernail Biting in a Student with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and a Mild Intellectual Disability

Fingernail biting is a habit that is developed by numerous people, especially children and teenagers. Many clinicians believe that the habit of fingernail biting stems from nervousness or anxiety. Students, especially students with disabilities, can be easily distracted from instruction, can become the target of negative peer attention, and can get socially ostracized by habit problems such as fingernail biting. Although teachers often must prioritize severe behavioral problems that we see in the classroom, we think that teachers have dramatically improved the quality of life of some of our students by helping them to modify other, less severe behavioral issues like fingernail biting. This study investigated the effect of the simple, noninvasive, and nonpunitive approaches of using coded verbal prompts and habit reversal to reduce fingernail biting in a classroom setting. A significant reduction was observed.