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Demonstration of Parent Training to Address Early Self-Injury in Young Children with Intellectual and Developmental Delays

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Abstract

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at a high risk for engaging in self-injurious behavior (SIB). Prognosis is poor when SIB emerges early. Limited research exists on interventions teaching parents how to manage their young child’s SIB. This investigation assessed the feasibility of adapting an applied behavior analytic parent training program with 11 parents of children 1–5 years of age with IDD and SIB. Quantitative and observational measures were used to assess outcomes; semi-structured interviews assessed caregiver satisfaction. Outcomes yielded preliminary data suggesting the adapted curriculum was feasible and acceptable to parents. Initial efficacy outcomes yielded decreases in SIB and observed negative parent–child interactions on pre- and post-measures. Qualitative data provided areas for further curriculum refinement.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Alexia Cathala, BA with assistance in data management, and Noha Minshawi, PhD with feedback on initial study design.

Funding

This research is supported by the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute Young Investigator Award funded in part by National Institutes of Health grant # UL1TR001108 (A. Shekhar, PI), 9/26/2013–4/30/2018, and the Indiana University Strategic Research Initiative (SRI). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the Indiana CTSI or NIH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 355 W. 16th St., Suite 4800, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Jill C. Fodstad

  2. Department of Neuropsychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Alexandra Kirsch

  3. Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Micah Faidley

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Nerissa Bauer

Authors
  1. Jill C. Fodstad
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  2. Alexandra Kirsch
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  3. Micah Faidley
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  4. Nerissa Bauer
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Contributions

JF conceived the study, conducted analyses, drafted the manuscript. AK conducted supplementary analyses, assisted with drafting/providing feedback on manuscript drafts. MF conducted data collection, assisted with drafting/providing feedback on manuscript drafts. NB provided feedback on study design and provided feedback on manuscript drafts. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jill C. Fodstad.

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All authors have no other conflicts of interest to report.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all caregiver participants included in the study for themselves as well for their child.

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Fodstad, J.C., Kirsch, A., Faidley, M. et al. Demonstration of Parent Training to Address Early Self-Injury in Young Children with Intellectual and Developmental Delays. J Autism Dev Disord 48, 3846–3857 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3651-5

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