Self-Mutilative Behavior in Verbal and Nonverbal Schizophrenic Children

Speech skill levels and prevalence of maladaptive behaviors in autistic and mentally retarded children

“…The finding of this higher prevalence of selfinjury in the autistic children with the lower speech skill levels is consistent with Shodell and Reiter's [12] report that the incidence of self-mutilation was found to occur to a much greater extent in the autistic child who was unable to use verbal communication. However, self-injury itself is neither essential nor specific feature in autism [8,13].…”

Reducing Behavior Problems Through Functional Communication Training

“…For example, studies of early social behavior (Bell & Ainsworth, 1972;Brownlee & Bakeman, 1981;Wolff, 1969) suggest that crying and aggression in infants and toddlers may also function as nonverbal requests that are effective in reliably securing attention and material reinforcers from adults as well as in terminating aversive situations. Finally, in the area of developmental disabilities, there is a substantial literature demonstrating an inverse relationship between level of communicative skill and frequency of behavior problems (Casey, 1978;Foxx & Livesay, 1984;Shodell & Reiter, 1968;Talkington, Hall, & Altman, 1971). This inverse relationship has led some investigators (e.g., Shodell & Reiter, 1968;Talkington et al, 1971) to speculate that behavior problems may function like nonverbal communicative acts and that, once children are taught more reliable ways to gain attention or escape aversives (e.g., through speech), the behavior problems are no longer as effective and disappear.…”

“…Finally, in the area of developmental disabilities, there is a substantial literature demonstrating an inverse relationship between level of communicative skill and frequency of behavior problems (Casey, 1978;Foxx & Livesay, 1984;Shodell & Reiter, 1968;Talkington, Hall, & Altman, 1971). This inverse relationship has led some investigators (e.g., Shodell & Reiter, 1968;Talkington et al, 1971) to speculate that behavior problems may function like nonverbal communicative acts and that, once children are taught more reliable ways to gain attention or escape aversives (e.g., through speech), the behavior problems are no longer as effective and disappear.…”

The definition, taxonomy, epidemiology, and ecology of self-injurious behavior

“…The following are some tentative conclusions we may make: (1) Prevalence among normal babies is between 7 and 17~ (Shentoub & Soulairac, 1961, cited in Green, 1967DeLissavoy, 1961;Sallustro & Atwell, 1978); (2) SIB, when it appears, usually develops in normal infants of 7-8 months and disappears by age 5 (Kravitz & Boehm, 1971); (3) SIB appears to occur more frequently in severely schizophrenic children, perhaps as much as 40~ (Green, 1967;Shodell & Reiter, 1968); (4) SIB among the institutionalized retarded ranges from about 8 to 14% (Maisto, Baumeister, & Maisto, 1978;Ross, 1972;Schroeder, Schroeder, Smith, & Dalldorf, 1978;Soule & O'Brien, 1974;Smeets, 1971;Whitney, 1966, cited by Smeets, 1971); (5) the lower the level of retardation, the more frequent and severe SIB is likely to be (Ross, 1972); (6) SIB is often accompanied by stereotyped behaviors, aggression, communication deficits, and neuropathology; (7) the most frequent SIBs are head banging, usually in combination with biting, scratching, gouging, and hair pulling (head banging seems more prominent among males, biting more among females, and gouging more among the blind); (8) SIB is more prevalent among the severely and profoundly retarded than among the mildly and moderately retarded; (9) SIB is unrelated to chronological age beyond 6 years, but little work is available on the retarded below age 6 since this is often the age of admission to large institutions; (10) SIB cases have been institutionalized longer than other residents; (11) SIB rated severe by institutional staff has a longer chronicity than mild SIB.…”