Assessment of Childhood Gender Behavior Change*

SUMMARY Behavioral assessment and diagnostic testing procedures were developed to evaluate the treatment of an 8‐yr‐old boy with a pronounced gender disturbance. When a combined response‐cost and verbal prompt contingency was applied, the single target mannerism of limping‐the‐wrist markedly decreased and response generalization of the treatment effect occurred to other mannerisms. Behavior therapy procedures successfully suppressed feminine voice inflections, doll‐play, and predominant play with girls, and increased masculine play. The treatment effects were replicated in a multiple‐baseline intrasubject design. The 2‐yr independent follow‐up found a marked shift to normal gender‐role adjustment.