Self-Injurious Behavior in Intellectual Disabilities

Self-Injurious Behavior in Intellectual Disabilities gives a broad overview of the literature in the area of self-injurious behavior in people with intellectual disabilities, but most of the text is dedicated to the review of the behavioral and biological research in this field. In fact, it is our view that the most promising heuristic approach for the advancement of our understanding of this phenomenon and for its management and treatment is likely the bio-behavioral perspective in which behavior can be studied at the intersect of learning and the biological bases of behavior. We propose an overarching heuristic model, which we call the Gene-Brain-Behavior Model of Self-Injurious Behavior that presents a platform to integrate disparate, and previously isolated scientific approaches.

• Written by 3 authors to provide cohesive coverage
• Bridges the gap between psychological behavior and psychiatry
• Examines the overlap between intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities

Many individuals with intellectual disabilities run the risk of developing self-injurious behavior at some point in the course of their lives. Self-Injurious Behavior in Intellectual Disabilities explores how these behaviors are similar to and different from the same behaviors in non-intellectually disabled people, and best practices for the management and treatment of this behavior in this population. The book begins with a discussion of the definition, classification, epidemiology, and etiology of self-injurious behavior in the intellectually disabled. Following from this, different means of assessment are presented as well as specific scales and measures for structural and functional assessment. The book concludes with a discussion of prevention management and treatment, including an assortment of interventions such as applied behavior analysis, behavior therapy, psychopharmacology, and other treatments.

This book should prove useful to mental health professionals dealing with the intellectually disabled, and to clinical researchers interested in the manifestation and maintenance of these behaviors. The literature reviewed reflects both behavioral and biological research.

About the Author
Johannes Rojahn is a Professor of Psychology at George Mason University, and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. He is currently President of the APA Division 33 (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities). He has published more than 100 scientific articles and book chapters, and has been identified as the fifth most prolific author of databased English language research articles in journals of applied developmental disabilities. He is senior editor of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, and Associate Editor for Research in Developmental Disabilities. He also serves on the editorial board of the American Journal on Mental Retardation, the Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, and Research In Autism Spectrum Disorders.