lf. Although it may not be seriously detrimental, it could chafe the individual's skin to the point of bleeding. Using DRL, this undesirable behavior could be lowered to the point that it is not causing skin damage. The individual is reinforced when the number of responses in a specified time period is equal to or less than the assigned limit. If the subject normally exhibits hand mouthing 35 times in a 10 minute time frame, set up a reward system for them if they exhibit the behavior 15 times or less within the 10 minutes. Once this behavior has stabilized, the criterion can be changed to a lower rate of behavior. The differential reinforcement of alternative behavior(s) (DRA) is the least effective of the four techniques. DRA is similar to DRI in the fact that they both reinforce the behavior that is alternative to the behavior targeted for reduction. With the DRA procedure, the target behavior and the alternative behavior are dissimilar but not necessarily physically incompatible. Each time the subject attempts SIB they are redirected to the performance of the alternative behavior, which is then reinforced. Habit ReversalHabit reversal is another nonintrusive intervention to SIB. It is the process of making the individual aware of the undesirable behavior or habit and trying to reduce or eliminate that behavior. Some of the most common nervous habits are skin picking, lip biting, and hair pulling. A simplified version of habit reversal could include awareness training, competing response training, relaxation, and social support.A study was done on an individual that exhibited lip biting with such intensity that his mouth would fill with blood. To make the subject aware of the frequency of his lip biting, he was asked to carry a white handkerchief in his pocket. He was to dab his lip with it each time he had a biting episode. He was told to use a clean spot on the handkerchief each time. At the end of the day he would put the handkerc...
