Reported was a behavior therapy program emphasizing language training for 20 autistic children who variously exhibited apparent sensory deficit, severe affect isolation, self stimulatory behavior, mutism, echolalic speech, absence of receptive speech and social and self help behaviors, and self destructive tendencies. The treatment emphasized…

The stereotyped, self-stimulating, autistic behavior (such as head weaving or body rocking) of 32 severely or profoundly retarded adults in a state hospital ward was virtually eliminated through nonreinforcement, reinforcement accompanied by praise, reinforcement combined with autism reversal procedures, and only autism reversal procedures. (MC)