(CNN) Electrical shock devices meant to interrupt self-injurious or aggressive behavior have been banned by federal officials in a rare move.

The only facility known to use these devices in the US is the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center, according to the FDA. The school, based in Canton, Massachusetts, is for people age 5 to adults with behavior issues and intellectual disabilities. The FDA estimates 45 to 50 individuals are exposed to devices there.

The US Food and Drug Administration published a final rule Wednesday to ban the devices after years of pressure and complaints from advocacy groups and family members of people who've been treated with shock therapy. The electrical shocks were also an attempt to condition people to stop engaging in self-harming behavior.

"Many people who are exposed to these devices have intellectual or developmental disabilities that make it difficult to communicate their pain. Evidence of the device's effectiveness is weak and evidence supporting the benefit-risk profiles of alternatives is strong," the FDA said.

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