Stereotyped behaviors predicting self-injurious behavior in individuals with intellectual disabilities

Lucy Barnard-Brak; Johannes Rojahn; David M Richman; Steven R Chesnut; Tianlan Wei

doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2014.08.017

Stereotyped behaviors predicting self-injurious behavior in individuals with intellectual disabilities

Res Dev Disabil. 2015 Jan:36C:419-427. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2014.08.017. Epub 2014 Nov 11.

Authors

Lucy Barnard-Brak¹, Johannes Rojahn², David M Richman³, Steven R Chesnut³, Tianlan Wei⁴

Affiliations

¹ Texas Tech University, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership, PO Box 41071, Lubbock, TX 79409, United States. Electronic address: lucy.barnard-brak@ttu.edu.
² George Mason University, Department of Psychology, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, United States.
³ Texas Tech University, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership, PO Box 41071, Lubbock, TX 79409, United States.
⁴ Mississippi State University, Department of Educational Psychology, PO Box 6334, Starkville, MS 39761, United States.

PMID: 25462502
DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2014.08.017

Abstract

We examined the relation between stereotyped behavior and self-injurious behavior (SIB) for 1871 individuals with intellectual disabilities who had a score of >0 on the Behavior Problem Inventory (BPI-01; Rojahn et al., 2001). We report three main findings: First, structural equation modeling techniques (SEM) revealed that the BPI-01stereotyped behavior subscale scores predicted BPI-01 SIB subscale scores. Second, when stereotyped behavior was modeled as a predictor of SIB, mixture-modeling techniques revealed two groups of individuals: one in which stereotyped behavior was a strong, statistically significant predictor of SIB (69% of the sample), and another one in which stereotyped behavior was not a predictor of SIB (31%). Finally, two specific stereotyped behavior topographies (i.e., body rocking and yelling) were identified that significantly predicted five different SIB topographies (i.e., self-biting, head hitting, body hitting, self-pinching, and hair pulling). Results are discussed in terms of future research needed to identify bio-behavioral variables correlated with cases of SIB that can, and cannot, be predicted by the presence of stereotyped behavior.

Keywords: Behavior Problems Inventory; Developmental disabilities; Intellectual disabilities; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Proto-SIB; Self-injurious behavior; Stereotyped behavior.