Demonstration of parent training to address early self-injury in young children with delays

Fodstad and colleagues built a short ABA parent-training course for toddlers and preschoolers with intellectual or developmental delays who were just starting to hit or bite themselves.

Parents met one-on-one with a coach and learned to spot why the self-injury happened and how to reward safer behavior. The team tracked self-injury and parent-child play before and after the course.

Every family finished the course and said they would recommend it. Self-injury dropped, and warm parent-child moments went up. The authors call the program 'feasible and acceptable.'

McIntyre (2019) ran a larger, randomized trial of group parent training for the same age and diagnosis group. That study also cut challenging behavior, but it added no extra benefit for parent stress. Fodstad’s work extends the idea into one-on-one coaching aimed squarely at early self-injury.

Ruppel et al. (2021) tested a home-based ABA package delivered twice a week by BCBAs. Both studies show parents can learn fast and reduce problem behavior, but Ruppel added language and play targets while Fodstad kept the lens tight on self-injury.

Scheithauer et al. (2023) and Laureano et al. (2024) used single-case designs to wipe out self-injury with functional analysis plus differential reinforcement or FCT. Those reports prove intensive, analyst-driven plans work; Fodstad asks whether a short parent course can get similar gains without full analyst hours.

You now have a ready-made mini-curriculum for families who walk in saying 'my toddler is hitting his head.' It takes little staff time, needs no fancy lab, and parents like it. Try it while you line up deeper assessment or wrap-around services.