This volume addresses the topic of self-injurious behavior (SIB) in per-
sons with developmental disabilities. Among professionals and the lay
public alike, there is little debate over the seriousness of
self-injury, its detrimental effects, and the need for therapeutic
intervention. At the same time, there are divergent views concerning its
etiology and treat- ment. Understanding the causes of self-injury, for
example, requires an analysis of biological factors, socioenvironmental
variables, communica- tion competencies, and in complex clinical cases,
the interrelationships among these influences. There is also uncertainty
with regard to the function of self-injury. Put simply, why would people
willingly inflict injury upon themselves? Finally, although there is
little disagreement about the necessity to intervene for self-injury,
clinicians do not make uniform therapeutic recommendations, and, in
fact, considerable dif- ferences in treatment selection are common. This
fact is most apparent when one considers the ongoing controversy with
regard to aversive and nonaversive programming. Our premise for this
volume is that a greater understanding of self- injurious behavior is
dependent upon an empirical research base. Theories of causality must be
conceptually valid and capable of being evaluated objectively. Treatment
must be functionally determined, operationalized, and replicable across
personnel and settings. For these reasons, we have assembled chapters by
individuals who are experi- enced clinicians and researchers in the
fields of psychology, medicine, psychiatry, education,
psychopharmacology, and developmental dis- abilities.