Using a Behavioral Approach to Decrease Self-Injurious Behavior in an Adolescent With Severe Autism: A Data-Based Case Study

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at higher risk for developing self-injurious behaviors (SIB) and other challenging behaviors than typically developing individuals. SIBs often occur owing to deficits in communicative ability and can have undesirable consequences in an individual's environment. This study demonstrated the use of a behavioral training package that included functional communication training (FCT) and a delayed schedule of reinforcement to decrease SIB and another challenging behavior while increasing appropriate requesting for a 14-year-old adolescent male with severe autism. The results demonstrated that the intervention was successful in the child's classroom; however, several limitations exist that practitioners should consider before using similar instructional techniques.