Behavior analysis of pharmacological and contingency management interventions for self-injury.

Pharmacological and contingency management interventions are frequently used to treat self-injurious behavior but few comparative analyses of these therapeutic approaches have been conducted. The present studies evaluated the singular and combined effects of psychotropic medication and behavior modification programs on multiple forms of self-injury in two developmentally disabled children. In both cases, high rates of self-injurious responding persisted during medication administration but were reduced rapidly following the implementation of behavioral programming. Near-zero levels of self-injury were maintained while the children were weaned gradually from medication and during extended follow-up assessments. Issues relevant to clinical behavioral pharmacology and self-injurious behavior are discussed.