REDUCING SELF‐INJURY AND CORRESPONDING SELF‐RESTRAINT THROUGH THE STRATEGIC USE OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

We examined the use of protective clothing to reduce a retarded male's face‐punching and leg‐kicking and two corresponding forms of self‐restraint—arm and leg self‐restraint. The resident was observed each day in three sessions of randomly ordered conditions (one condition per session): without any protective clothing, with a padded helmet, and with a padded helmet and padded slippers. Use of the padded helmet substantially reduced face‐punching and arm self‐restraint. The addition of padded slippers reduced leg‐kicking and leg self‐restraint. These results suggest a practical and effective means of controlling self‐injury and self‐restraint. They are also consistent with the possibility that the resident's arm restraint was maintained in part by escape or avoidance of face‐punching and that his leg restraint was maintained in part by escape or avoidance of leg‐kicking. 1984 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior