title: The use of behavioral assessment to prescribe and evaluate treatments for severely handicapped children.
abstract: Behavioral assessment procedures were used to prescribe and evaluate treatments of maladaptive behavior for 2 children with severe multiple handicaps. In Experiment 1, the results of an assessment of reinforcer preference were used in conjunction with a functional analysis of the conditions maintaining self-injurious behavior to prescribe a treatment for a child with severe disabilities. The treatment procedure involved the use of a pressure-sensitive microswitch to activate reinforcing stimuli during two solitary conditions, during which self-injurious behavior had occurred at high rates. The results were evaluated with a multiple baseline across settings design and indicated that self-injury decreased with concomitant increases in microswitch activation. Results were maintained at 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and 6 months. In Experiment 2, the results of behavioral assessments of reinforcer preference and self-injurious behavior were combined to develop a treatment for a second severely handicapped child, who exhibited high rates of self-injury in demand situations. This treatment was evaluated with a multiple baseline across tasks design and resulted in the elimination of self-injury for up to 15 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Steege
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Wacker
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Cigrand
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005795:Generalization, Stimulus; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*