Noncontingent application versus contingent removal of tactile stimulation: Effects on self-injury in a young boy with multiple disabilities

This study examined the effects of tactile stimulation on self-injurious behaviour (SIB) in a 10-year-old boy with developmental disabilities. SIB occurred at high rates during unstructured play, suggesting an automatic reinforcement, sensory stimulation function. Noncontingent application of an alternative source of tactile stimulation produced only modest reductions in SIB, but contingent removal of the objects used to obtain tactile stimulation produced clinically significant reductions.