Functional communication training and naltrexone treatment of self-injurious behaviour: An experimental case report

The self-injurious behaviour of people with intellectual disabilities, autism, and related developmental disabilities remains one of the most difficult behaviour problems to treat clinically. Two promising approaches to effective treatment involve teaching the person communication skills that are functionally equivalent to the self-injury or administering opiate antagonist medication. Here an experimental case study, in which naltrexone was combined with functional communication training, is reported. Using a within-subject ABCDC experimental design, reductions in rate of self-injury were observed during the naltrexone alone phase as well as during combined treatment phases. The implications of conducting a functional assessment prior to behavioural and pharmacological intervention are discussed.