title: Early intervention and prevention of self-injurious behaviour exhibited by young children with developmental disabilities.
abstract: The ontogeny of self-injurious behaviour exhibited by young children with developmental delays or disabilities is due to a complex interaction between neurobiological and environmental variables. In this manuscript, the literature on emerging self-injury in the developmental disability population is reviewed with a focus on an operant conceptual model of how topographies of self-injurious behaviour can change structurally and become sensitive to various environmental consequences. Results of previous studies are reviewed in terms of extending our research focus from a reactive model of assessment and treatment of well-established cases of self-injury to an early intervention and prevention model.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61820, USA. drichman@uiuc.edu
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Richman
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*