Preventing injury from child aggression: a single-case evaluation of the effects of staff-worn protective equipment.

Objective: This single-case study of a boy with autism and high-frequency aggression concerned the effects of classroom teachers wearing protective equipment (gloves) on injuries produced to their hands as well as injuries sustained to non-protected areas of the body.

Methods: A reversal-type design was used to evaluate the effects of protective equipment relative to a baseline (no protective equipment) phase, a low-demand activity phase without protective equipment and a low-demand activity phase with protective equipment.

Results: The protective equipment intervention eliminated hand injuries, did not result in other types of injuries, was not associated with increased aggression and was rated favourably by the classroom teachers.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that staff-worn protective equipment may be a valuable component of comprehensive clinical safety programmes within service settings for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.