Evaluation of satiation-resistant head rocking

The persistent head rocking of a woman diagnosed with profound mental retar dation was examined during three separate assessments. First, a functional analysis demonstrated that head rocking was maintained independent of socia l consequences. Next, an antecedent assessment revealed that exposure to al ternative sources of stimulation reduced head rocking, but only when the st imulation was being provided. A third assessment, which consisted of an enr iched environment, replicated the findings of the first two assessments. Ac ross all three assessments, head rocking persisted at extremely high rates when alternative stimulation was unavailable and returned to high levels im mediately following the removal of alternative sources of stimulation. An e nvironmental enrichment (EE) intervention, which was based on the results o f the functional analysis and antecedent assessment, resulted in a 70% redu ction in the occurrence of the head rocking. In addition, a social validity assessment revealed that the participant's caregivers rated the EE interve ntion as both effective and socially acceptable. The particular challenges that satiation-resistant aberrant behavior presents for behavior analysts a re addressed. Specific suggestions for research on intervention strategies for persistent aberrant behavior are also provided. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.