title: Self-injurious behavior in the developmentally disabled: assessment techniques.
abstract: Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a major cause of difficulty for the developmentally disabled person. Causes are varied, but medical, neurological, and psychiatric disorders should be considered before nonspecific approaches to treatment are chosen. A careful assessment should include a thorough medical and psychiatric evaluation as well as laboratory and diagnostic studies. Various assessment instruments are available to aid in the evaluation process and, to some extent, in the evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment for SIB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield 62794-9230.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Loschen
authors.forename: O T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Osman
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*