Water Misting: Treating Self-Injurious Behavior in a Multiply Handicapped, Visually Impaired Child

Abstract

A water mist was employed as a punisher to reduce head hitting in a multiply handicapped, visually impaired child. A multiple baseline across four situations (lunch, breakfast, industrial arts class, and residential hall) was used to evaluate the effects of water misting on head hitting as well as on appropriate behaviors. The results indicated that water mist alone was effective in reducing the frequency of head hits during meals, but that the other two situations required the addition of primary reinforcers or stimulus control or both to reduce the frequency of head hitting. These results suggest a need to consider the setting and task requirements in evaluating a mild punisher to reduce self-injurious behavior.