Frank J. Symons

Varieties of Repetitive Behavior in Autism: Comparisons to Mental Retardation

Systematic study of abnormal repetitive behaviors in autism has been lacking despite the diagnostic significance of such behavior. The occurrence of specific topographies of repetitive behaviors as well as their severity was assessed in individuals with mental retardation with and without autism. The occurrence of each behavior category, except dyskinesias, was higher in the autism group and autistic subjects exhibited a significantly greater number of topographies of stereotypy and compulsions. Both groups had significant patterns of repetitive behavior co-occurrence. Autistic subjects had significantly greater severity ratings for compulsions, stereotypy, and self-injury. Repetitive behavior severity also predicted severity of autism. Although abnormal repetition is not specific to autism, an elevated pattern of occurrence and severity appears to characterize the disorder.

Teaching Practices in Classrooms for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Discrepancies between Recommendations and Observations:

An important issue in the study of classrooms for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) concerns understanding teacher behavior and the teacher-student interaction patterns as coactive forces in the development and maintenance of problem behavior. Recent descriptive work in the area of teacher-student interactions suggests that teachers are employing less than optimal teaching practices. This article highlights a number of recommended best teaching practices, selectively reviews the research literature on teacher interactions in classrooms for students with E/BD, provides a possible interpretative framework for the apparent discrepancies, and makes recommendations for future research in this area.

Early intervention as we know it

Early intervention for infants and toddlers with disabilities was established as a national commitment in the form of federal legislation in 1986. Since then, we have witnessed steady growth in the number of children and families served, although the most recent report to Congress indicates that only about 1.7% of the population of infants and toddlers is served in early intervention programs. All states and territories currently are participating in this optional program. Federal regulations stipulate the components of an early intervention system that must be in place if states are to receive federal funding. However, a great deal of flexibility is allowed in how these broad regulations are implemented, resulting in considerable cross-state variability in who is served and the amount and type of services received. This article describes the current status of early intervention and discusses five issues we believe to be critical in the coming decade: (1) determining the outcomes expected of early intervention; (2) determining appropriate models and intensity of treatments; (3) factoring quality into the efficacy equation; (4) accounting for child, family, and community variables in determining efficacy; and (5) integrating emerging perspectives and knowledge from neuroscience and genetics. MRDD Research Reviews, 1999; 5:11–20.

Self-injurious behavior and sleep disturbance in adults with developmental disabilities☆

Sleep patterns of 30 individuals with self-injurious behavior and mental retardation were compared with those of 30 matched controls residing in the same residential facility that did not self-injure. Individuals were recorded as asleep or awake during 30 min intervals for eight hours per night. The results of a Wilcoxon signed-ranks test (p < .05) indicated that individuals with self-injury slept significantly less than individuals without self-injury. chi2 analyses (p < .01) indicated significantly greater variability in the number of intervals recorded as asleep among individuals with self-injury than their matched controls. These results are congruent with previous findings of sleep disturbance among persons with mental retardation and behavior problems. The possibility of neurochemical dysregulation in sleep disturbance among individuals with daytime self-injury is discussed.

Treatment of self-injurious behavior and quality of life for persons with mental retardation.

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a highly problematic and damaging behavior with profound implications for a persons quality of life. Despite numerous reports documenting changes in self-injury, it is not well-known how these changes relate to systematic improvements in quality of life. We surveyed 41 journals from 1978 to 1996 to identify use of quality of life outcome measures following self-injury treatment. A sample of 138 research articles involving 436 subjects with self-injury was reviewed. Forty articles (29%) were found that contained some quality of life measure. Very little detailed information was available concerning the specific nature of change in life-style based on immediate changes in SIB. This lack of information and its possible implications are discussed.