A Clinical Trial for Self-Injurious Behavior

At least one quarter of the 18 million persons in the US with intellectual and developmental disabilities engage in self-injurious behavior (SIB), which can result in injuries, disfigurement, and loss of function (e.g., blindness). SIB that persists in the absence of social reinforcement has been referred to as automatically maintained SIB (ASIB). Research has shown that the sensitivity of ASIB to disruption by alternative reinforcement is identifiable in a standardized assessment, predicts response to treatment, and provides a quantifiable basis for subtyping ASIB. This research has also identified two subtypes that are highly resistant to behavioral treatment using reinforcement alone, necessitating the use of protective equipment and other procedures to minimize injury. The proposed study is a clinical trial that will allow systematic comparison of the effectiveness of two behavioral treatments targeting treatment-resistant subtypes of ASIB.

NCT Number	NCT03995966
Lead Sponsor	Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Inc.
Conditions	Self-Injurious Behavior
Enrollment	16 participants
Start Date	2019-06-04
Primary Completion	2025-09-09 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-08-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-02-18