Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 October 2014
Mild punishment, overcorrection and reinforcement of an alternative behaviour were used to reduce and eliminate the incidence of severe self-injurious behaviour in an autistic 12-year-old boy who had sustained major damage to his wrists and fingers. Data were collected over 10 × 30-minute periods per day and showed that banging and touching of a protective cast and later the injured hand itself were reduced to zero in approximately three weeks. The injury had healed and self-injurious behaviour was still extinguished at 10-month follow-up.