Decreasing self-injurious beha

A detailed Summary of Decreasing self-injurious beha

Decreasing self-injurious behavior(s)

Self-injurious behavior refers to repeated responses made by individuals that are directed toward themselves and result in tissue damage or physical harm. Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is found in some individuals with severe mental retardation, but it is a characteristic most often associated with multiple disabilities. Nevertheless, some children and youths with normal intelligence and language skills indulge in SIB. The intent usually is to injure themselves without killing themselves. Topographies of SIB include, but are not limited to: mouthing, hand biting, head banging, and skin tearing. The resultant injuries vary from mild abrasions to extensive scarring.

Many different approaches to reducing SIB have been tried. No approach has been entirely successful, although some show better results than others. The major contribution to effective interventions for SIB has come from the field of applied behavior analysis. Interventions range from mildly intrusive to more drastic techniques such as electric shock. The focus of this paper will be on effective methods used for reducing self-injurious behavior.

When trying to decrease a behavior such as s

A young man with severe mental retardation exhibited SIB which consisted of fist-to-head hitting and head banging. This self-injury resulted in tissue damage in the form of scarring, bleeding, and bruising to his hands, wrists, and head. The behavior was being maintained by attention from an adult. Response cost was used to decrease the occurrence of SIB. A therapist was placed in a room with the young man. The therapist and he would play games or indulge in brief conversation. The therapist gave him social reinforcement for appropriate behaviors and the nonoccurrence of SIB. If the subject engaged in SIB, the therapist would leave the room, therefore, eliminating the possibility for reinforcement (Adelinis, Fisher, Hanley, Piazza, 1997, p. 251-260).

There are four types of differential reinforcement: differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI), differential reinforcement of other behavior(s) (DRO), differential reinforcement of lower rates of behavior (DRL), and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior(s) (DRA).

Time-out procedures can be effective in reducing self-injurious behavior(s) if the behavior(s) is maintained by social reinforcers such as teachers and/or peers. This procedure would not be effective if the individual exhibits SIB when in isolation.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Reversal Habit, Response Cost, Extinction Extinction, Stimuli Mild, Time-out Procedures, Aversive Stimulus, Restitutional Overcorrection, Using DRO, Tanner Zeiler, Using DRL, aversive stimulus, differential reinforcement, time-out procedures, undesirable behavior, lip biting, target behavior, response cost, unconditioned aversive stimulus, behavior behavior, alternative behavior, appropriate behaviors, alternative behaviors dra, time-out procedures time-out, behavior alternative behavior, reinforcement alternative behaviors,

Approximate Word count = 2751
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous

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