Discussed are guidelines concerning informed consent by parents and guardians when aversive treatments for developmentally delayed persons are considered, and provided is a model consent form. (IM)

The article provides a review of research on the role of punishment in relation to the normalization of retarded persons and points out that, in the natural environment, punishment procedures normally play some part in the determination of social behavior. (IM)

Examined are two alternatives to the use of electric shock to control destructive or repugnant behaviors in severely retarded or schizophrenic children: continued use of noncorporal punishment, and widescale application of appropriately arranged contingencies of positive reinforcement. (KW)

The self-injurious avoidance responses of a 22-year-old severely mentally retarded male were eliminated through a forced running consequence. Side effects, such as reduced noise, increase in smiling, and faster progress toward instructional objectives, were also noted. The results were maintained over a period of two years. (Author/PHR)