Assessment and treatment of episodic self-injury: a case study.

Full Abstract

Functional analysis probes were conducted over an extended time period to identify the consequences that maintained infrequent self-injury (occurred 1-5 days monthly). Occurrences of respite care and episodes of physical illness were concurrently measured in order to assess their influence on response-reinforcer relations during functional analysis conditions. Functional analysis of immediate antecedents and consequences produced inconclusive results. A subsequent systematic manipulation of respite care demonstrated a relationship between the presence of self-injury and the occurrence of respite the previous evening. The intervention consisted of altering the respite situation, which resulted in the long-term elimination of self-injury.

Author information

Author/s: O'Reilly, M F (MF);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland. moreilly(-atsign-)macollamh.ucd.ie

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Case Reports; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Research in developmental disabilities (Res Dev Disabil), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: -1996 Sep-Oct; vol 17 (issue 5) : pp 349-61

Dates: Created 1997/01/29; Completed 1997/01/29; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 8878359, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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