Reducing Severe Aggressive and Self-Injurious Behavior: A Nonintrusive,Home Based Approach

Abstract

This study presents data covering the application of a response cost contingency to the self-injurious and aggressive/destructive behaviors of an autistic adolescent boy. The subject's target response rate was reduced from a mean of 29 per day during baseline to a daily mean of 0.3 during the final phase of the treatment condition. The fact that nonintrusive management strategies (such as response cost) are seldom reported in the literature covering aggressive and self-destructive behavior is discussed. Further, advantages of the response cost technique over other more frequently used methods are described.