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2. Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria
Which children are good candidates for learning pill-swallowing with this technique?
- Children who have had no previous experience swallowing pills or have had success swallowing smaller pills.
- Children who generally cooperate with medications.
- Children who are motivated to learn a new skill.
- Children who are four years old or older (younger children can learn to swallow pills but may not be able to adhere to a strict protocol as consistently as is necessary).
Which children are not good candidates for learning pill-swallowing with this technique?
- Children who have had negative experience swallowing pills or trying to swallow pills.
- Children who protest any kind of medication, even good-tasting medication.
- Children who are very anxious about medications or new experiences in general.
- Children who have general oral-motor problems such as speech problems or refusal to eat certain food textures.
- Children who exhibit general behavior problems (e.g., temper tantrums, disobedience towards authority).
If the child meets at least one of the exclusion criteria for this technique, it will be more difficult to teach the child pill-swallowing. In these instances, it is better not to attempt this technique. The training will likely be unsuccessful, making pill-swallowing more difficult in the future. Children who are excluded from this protocol may benefit from a different pill-swallowing technique designed to target their problem areas. This type of program can be designed by a behaviorally-oriented psychologist.
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