What Factors are Related to a Negative Outcome of Self-Injurious Behaviour During Childhood in Pervasive Developmental Disorders?

Aim To explore the factors related to the outcome of self‐injurious behaviour (SIB) in children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Method Children with PDD were assessed on individual and environmental variables at time 1 and 3 years later. A questionnaire about the presence or absence of SIB was also administered at both times in order to examine the early course of SIB. Results Our findings suggest an association between a negative outcome and several aspects of the children’s behaviour. Children with a negative outcome differed from the others in having greater speech impairment, more cognitive and adaptive deficits, and more severe signs of autism. When these variables were entered into a multivariate model for predicting the outcome of SIB, only speech deficits (ORa 3.5, CI 95% 1.13–13.4) and autism severity (ORa 1.1, CI 95% 1.03–1.18) were significant risk factors. Discussion The importance of these findings for improving our understanding of SIB is discussed.