The immediate and long-term effectiveness of overcorrection in treating self-injurious behavior in a mentally retarded adult.

A brief positive practice overcorrection procedure was used as a method of eliminating head-banging in a profoundly mentally retarded adult. Treatment produced an immediate reduction in head-banging episodes, with near zero occurrence of behavior during the third phase of treatment. One year later data collection was resumed on the subject for an 11-week period. Data from the long-term follow-up revealed that head-banging continued to occur, but mean weekly levels of episodes (M = 5.8) were still well below those recorded during the baseline period (M = 18.8). The overcorrection procedure produced immediate short-term effects and, in this case, was also effective in the long-term. Variables related to the maintenance of response suppression are discussed with respect to this intervention's success.