{"id":18808,"date":"2025-03-25T10:54:31","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T15:54:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autism.org\/?p=18808"},"modified":"2025-04-23T13:23:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T18:23:10","slug":"self-regulation-for-self-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/autism.org\/self-regulation-for-self-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-Regulation Strategies for Self-Injury"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_6 1_6 fusion-one-sixth fusion-column-first\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;width:16.666666666667%;width:calc(16.666666666667% - ( ( 4% + 4% ) * 0.16666666666667 ) );margin-right: 4%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-1 fusion_builder_column_2_3 2_3 fusion-two-third\" style=\"--awb-padding-top:80px;--awb-bg-size:cover;width:66.666666666667%;width:calc(66.666666666667% - ( ( 4% + 4% ) * 0.66666666666667 ) );margin-right: 4%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#jump\">Emily Ferguson, Ph.D.<\/a>, discusses self-regulation strategies for self-injurious behaviors (SIB). She outlines recent research on the frequency and distribution of different SIBs across a large sample, underscoring the importance of assessing individual behavior severity instead of an overall SIB score. The presenter considers the role of emotion regulation in SIB interventions. Ferguson considers emotion recognition, coping strategies, and prevention methods and provides free online resources for parents and clinicians. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube fusion-aligncenter\" style=\"--awb-max-width:600px;--awb-max-height:360px;--awb-width:100%;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top:60%;\" ><iframe title=\"YouTube video player 1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8JSp0ShX3WM?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"360\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:40px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\"><h2><strong>In this webinar:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>2:25<\/strong> &#8211; Self-injurious behavior and autism<br \/>\n<strong>7:20<\/strong> &#8211; Study: Frequency and distribution of unique SIBs<br \/>\n<strong>10:30<\/strong> &#8211; Results<br \/>\n<strong>17:25<\/strong> &#8211; Summary<br \/>\n<strong>19:45<\/strong> &#8211; Helpful questions<br \/>\n<strong>22:20<\/strong> &#8211; Adult self-reports<br \/>\n<strong>24:12<\/strong> &#8211; Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)<br \/>\n<strong>27:00<\/strong> &#8211; Emotion regulation (ER) and challenging behaviors<br \/>\n<strong>30:45<\/strong> &#8211; Emotion recognition and ER strategies<br \/>\n<strong>33:55<\/strong> &#8211; Prevention<br \/>\n<strong>39:30<\/strong> &#8211; Resources<br \/>\n<strong>42:40<\/strong> &#8211; Q&amp;A<\/p>\n<h2><b>Self-injurious behavior and autism<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ferguson explains that self-injurious behaviors (SIBs) are present in 40 &#8211; 50% of autistic people. They often persist in varying forms and intensities across the lifespan and significantly increase the likelihood of tissue damage or physical injury, hospitalization, and more restrictive residential placements <\/span><b>(2:25)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Common forms of repetitive behaviors include head-banging, skin-scratching, self-hitting, hair-pulling, lip or cheek-biting, nail-biting, skin-picking, and hitting against hard objects. Research shows that lower speech production, lower cognitive functioning, greater emotion dysregulation, greater sensory sensitivity, sex, and age are all linked to greater severity of SIB <\/span><b>(6:30)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The presenter notes that measurements and conceptualization of SIB vary across studies <\/span><b>(5:25)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Frequency and distribution of unique SIBs<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The speaker outlines her recent publication on the frequency and distribution of unique SIBs across a large sample. The study uses 593 survey responses to explore speech level, cognitive function, emotion dysregulation, and sensory sensitivities for each of the eleven most common non-suicidal SIBs <\/span><b>(7:20)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roughly 30-50% of caregivers reported mild to severe concerns for many types of SIB, highlighting the importance of looking at severity for every kind of SIB instead of an overall score. Results show that higher emotion dysregulation, or difficulty managing, responding, or calming strong emotions, was significantly associated with greater severity of nine types of SIB ranging from self-hitting to skin-picking <\/span><b>(10:30)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Higher sensory hypersensitivity was associated with greater severity of self-scratching (with and without tissue damage), repetitive hair-twirling, and skin-picking and lip-biting (with and without tissue damage). Ferguson asserts these findings indicate that these types of SIB may be a means of self-soothing or communicating distress in response to overwhelming sensory stimuli <\/span><b>(13:30)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Self-scratching, self-hitting, and lip-biting (with tissue damage) were significantly associated with lower IQ, suggesting that the presence of intellectual disabilities (ID) might increase the risk of engaging in specific types of SIB. The study also found that youth who speak in full sentences demonstrate lower severity of self-hitting and head-banging than youth who use no words to communicate. Ferguson reiterates that self-hitting and head-banging may be a way of communicating, especially for autistic people with ID who are non-verbal <\/span><b>(15:45)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She summarizes research findings, reiterating the important insights we can gain by examining the severity of unique types of SIB rather than their overall occurrence. She notes that head-banging and self-hitting can result in serious physical harm, posing a greater risk to those with lower IQs and speech ability <\/span><b>(17:25)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The speaker suggests asking these questions to help determine causes and care strategies for SIB <\/span><b>(19:45)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is the situation placing demands that exceed ER skills? (Adaptive emotion regulation (ER) skills)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is the behavior in response to unmet sensory needs or sensory overload? (Sensory dysregulation)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are the demands on the individual too high or low for their cognitive level? (Cognitive capacities)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does this person have a functional way to communicate? (Adequacy of communication system)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/39578711\/\">Exploring the Heterogeneity of Self-Injurious Behaviors in Autistic Youth: Patterns, Predictors, and Implications for Intervention<\/a> (Ferguson et al., 2025)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Adult Self-Reports<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The presenter outlines a recent study by Moseley and colleagues that asked autistic adults about the perceived role of non-suicidal SIBs (a more extensive list than the previous study). Participants reported hurting themselves in order to feel something, change emotional pain into something physical, relieve stress or pressure, deal with frustration, shock or hurt someone, self-punishment, and to prevent hurting themselves in other ways <\/span><b>(22:20)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/s13229-019-0267-3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A \u2018choice\u2019, an \u2018addiction\u2019, a way \u2018out of the lost\u2019: exploring self-injury in autistic people without intellectual disability<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Moseley et al., 2019)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was developed for people with borderline personality disorder but can be applied to people across the spectrum of life. DBT is often a first-line treatment for people who engage in SIB or have suicidal thoughts or tendencies. It works to identify and distinguish repetitive behaviors, accepting the ones that serve a good purpose while changing others that increase the risk of harm to self or others <\/span><b>(24:21)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Emotion regulation and challenging behaviors<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The speaker outlines the pathway from difficulties with ER to challenging behavior presentation and considers the role that self-regulation has in SIB interventions <\/span><b>(27:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Individual factors (hungry or tired) \u2192 precipitating cues (loud\/surprising noise) \u2192 difficulty identifying and labeling emotions (overwhelmed) \u2192\u00a0 negative experience continues or increases (no coping strategy) \u2192 challenging behavior is expressed.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Emotion recognition<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emotion recognition can be difficult for everyone, and creating a personalized feeling chart can significantly help. Ferguson discusses how to make a feeling chart that captures the sounds and feelings of one\u2019s emotions as well as what someone needs in those moments <\/span><b>(30:45)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Emotion regulation (ER) strategies<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ER strategies include coping skills and co-regulation techniques, which the speaker suggests should be practiced daily. For caretakers, it is essential to do these things <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">their child or patient to model effective coping strategies. Ferguson highlights the benefits of parent skills training and provides a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0cq5RuE8SXk\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">free training video<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that teaches some quick coping skills for calming down and returning to a place where you can work through problems and big emotions more effectively <\/span><b>(31:40)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0cq5RuE8SXk\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0cq5RuE8SXk<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Prevention<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SIB prevention techniques focus on reducing the likelihood of distressing situations or contexts. If an SIB consistently occurs in a specific location, consider what about that place may cause distress to you or your child. It\u2019s also helpful to note setting events, like sleep, that can affect irritability and ER throughout the day <\/span><b>(33:55)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The Research Units in Behavioral Intervention (RUBI) provides<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/book\/1248\/chapter\/140180019\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">free online materials<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help with SIB prevention.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/book\/1248\/chapter\/140180019\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/book\/1248\/chapter\/140180019<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Functional behavior analyses of problem behaviors are commonly used to identify antecedents, behaviors, and consequences and can help identify positive and negative communication cycles. Ferguson emphasizes that behavioral approaches must be strengths-based and aimed at reducing negative impact. Other prevention methods include mental health therapies and parent training in behavior management, as outlined in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/book\/1248\/chapter\/140180019\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RUBI resources<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (ages 2 &#8211; 7) <\/span><b>(35:55)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The speaker shares a clinical guide for treating severe behaviors, toolkits, and ECHO training <\/span><b>(39:30)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before the Q&amp;A <\/span><b>(42:40)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Resources provided during the talk and in text:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Article by Dr. Ferguson mentioned in the talk:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/aur.3269\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\">https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/aur.3269<\/a><\/li>\n<li>ECHO Autism Challenging Behavior:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/echoautism.org\/challenging-behavior\/\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\">https:\/\/echoautism.org\/challenging-behavior\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Autism Speaks Challenging Behavior Toolkit:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.autismspeaks.org\/tool-kit\/challenging-behaviors-tool-kit\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\">https:\/\/www.autismspeaks.org\/tool-kit\/challenging-behaviors-tool-kit<\/a><\/li>\n<li>RUBI intervention online materials: <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/book\/1248\/chapter\/140180019\">https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/book\/1248\/chapter\/140180019<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Moseley article referenced during the talk: <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s13229-019-0267-3.pdf\">https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s13229-019-0267-3.pdf<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Originally published December 3, 2024.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:40px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-2 fusion_builder_column_1_6 1_6 fusion-one-sixth fusion-column-last\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;width:16.666666666667%;width:calc(16.666666666667% - ( ( 4% + 4% ) * 0.16666666666667 ) );\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"jump\" class=\"fusion-container-anchor\"><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-2 has-pattern-background has-mask-background nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-3 fusion_builder_column_1_3 1_3 fusion-one-third fusion-column-first\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;width:33.333333333333%;width:calc(33.333333333333% - ( ( 4% ) * 0.33333333333333 ) );margin-right: 4%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-3\"><p><strong>About the speaker:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignleft wp-image-18809\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27119%27%20height%3D%27119%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20119%20119%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27119%27%20height%3D%27119%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/E-Ferguson.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"119\" height=\"119\" \/><\/b><strong>Emily Ferguson, Ph.D.<\/strong>, is a postdoctoral academic researcher and clinician within <a href=\"https:\/\/med.stanford.edu\/autism.html\">Stanford University\u2019s Autism and Developmental Disorders Research Program<\/a> within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of California Santa Barbara and completed her clinical internship at the University of California Los Angeles. Dr. Ferguson&#8217;s research focuses on advancing understanding of mechanisms of challenging behaviors in autistic youth and adults to inform treatment development. Her work takes a comprehensive perspective, integrating methods from implementation science to improve the accessibility and quality of clinical care for underserved autistic populations, especially those with higher support needs (or &#8220;profound autism&#8221;). She is also interested in developing methods to improve self-regulation in individuals with profound autism to effectively manage self-injurious behaviors and aggression. Dr. Ferguson is currently supporting research in the <a href=\"http:\/\/(https:\/\/med.stanford.edu\/autismcenter\/pre-school-autism-lab-program.html)\">Preschool Autism Lab<\/a>, and exploring profiles of challenging behaviors with the <a href=\"https:\/\/med.stanford.edu\/sppmc.html\">Program for Psychometrics and Measurement-Based Care<\/a> in a diverse range of autistic and non-autistic youth to inform treatment approaches.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-4 fusion_builder_column_2_3 2_3 fusion-two-third fusion-column-last\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;width:66.666666666667%;width:calc(66.666666666667% - ( ( 4% ) * 0.66666666666667 ) );\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-4\"><h4>Take the knowledge quiz<\/h4>\n<p>Can&#8217;t see the quiz below? 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class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:30px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-recent-posts fusion-recent-posts-1 avada-container layout-default layout-columns-3\"><section class=\"fusion-columns columns fusion-columns-3 columns-3\"><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/self-regulation-for-self-injury\/\" aria-label=\"Self-Regulation Strategies for Self-Injury\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/self-injury_edelson-700x441.png\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"Various words written on a white background with different shades of green shapes\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271336%27%20height%3D%27941%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201336%20941%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271336%27%20height%3D%27941%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/self-injury_edelson-700x441.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/self-injury_edelson-320x202.png 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/self-injury_edelson-700x441.png 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2025-04-23T13:23:10-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/self-regulation-for-self-injury\/\">Self-Regulation Strategies for Self-Injury<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2025-04-23T13:23:10-05:00<\/span><span>March 25th, 2025<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/adults-on-the-spectrum\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Adults on the Spectrum<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/anxiety-2\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Anxiety<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/assessment\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Assessment<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/depression\/\" rel=\"category tag\">depression<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/meltdowns\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Meltdowns<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/self-care\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Self Care<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/self-injury-2\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Self Injury<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/self-injury\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Self-Injury<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Webinar<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>  Emily Ferguson, Ph.D., discusses self-regulation strategies for self-injurious behaviors (SIB). She outlines recent research on the frequency and distribution of different SIBs across a large sample, underscoring the importance of assessing individual behavior<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/understanding-and-treating-autism-book-series\/\" aria-label=\"Understanding and Treating Autism: Book Series\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/AdobeStock_62720298-700x441.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"Autism concept book\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%272560%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202560%202560%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%272560%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/AdobeStock_62720298-700x441.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/AdobeStock_62720298-320x202.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/AdobeStock_62720298-700x441.jpeg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/nicoleautism-com\/\" title=\"Posts by Nicole\" rel=\"author\">Nicole<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2025-03-17T15:01:06-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/understanding-and-treating-autism-book-series\/\">Understanding and Treating Autism: Book Series<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/nicoleautism-com\/\" title=\"Posts by Nicole\" rel=\"author\">Nicole<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2025-03-17T15:01:06-05:00<\/span><span>November 25th, 2022<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/anxiety-2\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Anxiety<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/books\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Books<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/sleep-issues\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Sleep Issues<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>   A new book, titled Understanding and Treating Sleep Disturbances in Autism, is now available from Jessica Kingsley Publishers.\u00a0 The book is edited by ARI's chief science officer, Stephen M. Edelson, and past<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/understanding-and-treating-self-injury-book\/\" aria-label=\"Understanding and Treating Self-Injurious Behavior in Autism\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"441\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27350%27%20height%3D%27499%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20350%20499%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27350%27%20height%3D%27499%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"Autism related book cover\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/self-injury-book-350x441.jpg\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-01-22T12:01:50-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/understanding-and-treating-self-injury-book\/\">Understanding and Treating Self-Injurious Behavior in Autism<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-01-22T12:01:50-05:00<\/span><span>February 14th, 2022<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/anxiety-2\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Anxiety<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>  Pictured: Editors Stephen M. Edelson and\u00a0Jane Botsford Johnson    A comprehensive, authoritative resource on understanding and resolving self-injurious behavior (SIB) in people with autism and related conditions with contributions by top<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/understanding-and-treating-anxiety-autism\/\" aria-label=\"Understanding and Treating Anxiety in Autism\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"509\" height=\"441\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27509%27%20height%3D%27705%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20509%20705%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27509%27%20height%3D%27705%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"&quot;Understanding and Treating Anxiety in Autism&quot; book cover\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Understanding-and-Treating-Anxiety-in-Autism-cover2-509x441.png\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2022-02-24T14:37:23-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/understanding-and-treating-anxiety-autism\/\">Understanding and Treating Anxiety in Autism<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2022-02-24T14:37:23-05:00<\/span><span>February 14th, 2022<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/anxiety-2\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Anxiety<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/books\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Books<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p> Pictured: Editors Stephen M. Edelson and\u00a0Jane Botsford Johnson    Understanding and Treating Anxiety in Autism, is now available from Jessica Kingsley Publishers.\u00a0 The book is edited by ARI's executive director, Stephen M.<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/depression-in-asd\/\" aria-label=\"Depression In ASD: Insights From A Network Analysis\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"641\" height=\"441\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271760%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202560%201760%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271760%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"Anxious woman avoiding conversation with another woman\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/AdobeStock_198409225.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2022-01-13T11:00:30-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/depression-in-asd\/\">Depression In ASD: Insights From A Network Analysis<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2022-01-13T11:00:30-05:00<\/span><span>January 11th, 2021<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/adults-on-the-spectrum\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Adults on the Spectrum<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/anxiety-2\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Anxiety<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/challenging-behaviors\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Challenging Behaviors<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/health\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Health<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/parenting-webinar\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Parenting<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Webinar<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>       Depression as co-occurring condition in autism is frequently reported, but there is not a consensus on the risk factors. Tune in to learn about recent research on the<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/self-inury-qa-anxiety-ocd\/\" aria-label=\"Self-Injurious Behavior &#8211; Anxiety and OCD\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Untitled-design-28-700x441.jpg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"Young kid with a focused expression, biting his lips\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271200%27%20height%3D%27628%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201200%20628%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271200%27%20height%3D%27628%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Untitled-design-28-700x441.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Untitled-design-28-320x202.jpg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Untitled-design-28-700x441.jpg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-09-10T16:33:00-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/self-inury-qa-anxiety-ocd\/\">Self-Injurious Behavior &#8211; Anxiety and OCD<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-09-10T16:33:00-05:00<\/span><span>September 11th, 2019<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/challenging-behaviors\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Challenging Behaviors<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/self-injury\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Self-Injury<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Webinar<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>     Watch Dr. Moskowitz\u2019s previous talk on positive strategies for addressing anxiety and OCD, HERE References in the playback above include: Three methods of saying \"no\" without escalating: HERE Treatment when<\/p><\/div><\/article><\/section><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12889,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,9449,32,9459,3790,20,5199,9451,3779,24],"tags":[3192,9823,9843,9692,3846,5443,9654],"class_list":["post-18808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adults-on-the-spectrum","category-anxiety-2","category-assessment","category-depression","category-meltdowns","category-news","category-self-care","category-self-injury-2","category-self-injury","category-webinar","tag-mental-health","tag-psychiatry","tag-psychopharmacology","tag-self-care","tag-self-injurious-behavior","tag-self-injurious-behavior-2019","tag-self-injury-book","webinar-author-emily-ferguson-phd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - 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