Reduction of self-injurious behavior in an autistic girl using a multifaceted treatment program.
Self-injurious hand biting was reduced in an autistic girl by using fine water mist combined with a loud statement of "No!" following the behavior, and verbal praise for appropriate behavior. The subject was 6 years old when the interventions were implemented, and she had been in arm and head restraints since infancy. A fading procedure that moved from a large to smaller bottles allowed generalization across settings and people. Treatment was effective at a 6-month follow-up in both structured and unstructured settings.
D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D011678:Punishment; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000628:therapy*