Aggression is a known contributor to burnout and caregiver instability among direct support professionals (DSPs) caring for adults with developmental disabilities. However, few studies have explored the differential effects of aggression subtypes on caregivers and what implications these may have for intervention planning. This longitudinal study…

Research has shown that different maladaptive behavior categories may be maintained by different contingencies. We examined whether behavior categories or behavior topographies determine functional properties. The "Questions about Behavioral Function" with its five subscales ("Attention", "Escape", "Nonsocial", "Physical", and "Tangible") was…

This "2018-2019 Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Strategic Plan Update" is the work of the IACC membership that was appointed under the Autism CARES Act of 2014. The Committee agreed that the "2016-2017 IACC Strategic Plan" reflected a comprehensive review of the state of the field and provided a set of 23 new…

Aggressive and destructive behaviors are an ongoing challenge for many children, adolescents, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). What's behind these high-risk behaviors, and how can professionals help manage them? Discover the answers in this comprehensive text, the most up-to-date compendium of knowledge on…

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are often prescribed psychotropic medication to treat behaviors such as aggression and self-injury. Evaluation of these medications is often based on caregiver report or changes in frequency of behavior. The purpose of this research was to characterize the rate and function of problem…

A study compared a brief and an extended functional analyses of three adults with serious developmental disabilities and aggressive or self-injurious behavior. Both analyses revealed the same controlling variables, but the brief functional analyses took less than 20% the time in analog conditions as the extended analyses. (Author/CR)

Aggression by individuals with developmental disabilities may threaten their community placement. In a multiple baseline design across group homes, we provided group home staff with behavioral training and later with mindfulness training to assess the impact on aggressive behaviors and the number of learning objectives mastered by individuals in…

This study examined three maladaptive behaviors, self-injurious behavior (SIB), stereotypies, and aggression in 36 adults with either autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and mental retardation. Findings indicated that, for all three diagnostic categories, aggression was primarily maintained for attentional…

This paper summarizes brief functional assessments of 79 cases of people with developmental disabilities and self-injurious, aggressive, stereotypic, or other aberrant behavior. Outcomes were evaluated across three variables: (1) referring topography, (2) control over behavior, and (3) the identified maintaining conditions for aberrant behavior.…

A study was conducted of 217 clients with developmental disabilities and behavioral and psychiatric disorders, who had been referred for crisis intervention, to determine what factors predicted their rereferral. Factors included nonfamily residence and self-injurious behavior for those under age 30, and aggression for those over age 30. (CR)

A program to increase staff effectiveness in implementing a group home behavior management program for residents with developmental disabilities was evaluated. The program emphasized systematic self-recording and supervisor feedback, and resulted in increased staff consistency in all four areas evaluated (such as implementing response costs for…

Very few existing empirical studies have explored the putative association between exposure to negative life events and psychological well-being in adults with developmental disabilities. In the present study, data on exposure to life events in the previous 12 months, adaptive behavior, problem behavior, and psychiatric problems were provided by…