Background: Emotional distress has received less attention as an explanatory factor for self-injury in people with intellectual disabilities, with research and practice primarily focusing on biobehavioural factors. This systematic review examines the self-reported explanations for self-injury by people with mild or moderate intellectual…

Background: Aggressive behaviour (AB) and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are common in people with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning, leading to adverse consequences for themselves and those around them. Method: We investigated the relationship between AB (both total and physical in particular) and NSSI and risk…

This was an exploratory cross-sectional study comparing 45 children with ASD to 24 typically developing drug-naïve controls, group-matched on age, sex, and body mass index. Objective data was obtained using the following: an ambulatory circadian monitoring device; saliva samples to determine dim light melatonin onset (DLMO): and three…

Introduction: There is evidence of a gap between individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who need treatment for self-injurious behavior (SIB) and those who receive treatment. The purpose of this study (n = 15) was to begin to understand the treatment gap from the perspective of family caregivers. Methods: In…

Background: Callous-unemotional traits (CUT) are an antisocial personality trait, which can be present in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially in relation to difficulties in empathy. These traits are related to challenging behaviors, such as aggressive behavior, which may occur in people with ASD. Method: This study aimed to…

This article presents a structured blueprint for school psychologists to assess and intervene in cases of automatically maintained self-injurious behavior (SIB) while adhering to the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) mandate. We outline a six-step process for conducting Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) of automatically maintained SIB,…

This study aimed at analyzing the differences in challenging behaviors between adults with intellectual disability and ASD and those who only had intellectual disability, as well as to explore associations between transdiagnostic and clinical variables to these differences. Therapists and educators of 163 adults with intellectual disability (83…

Background: Mental health is a priority for high schools, but extant programs often focus on symptom reduction rather than promoting adolescents' developmental assets. Objective: The goal of this study is to examine whether Art in Mind (AIM), a strengths-based after-school organized art activity tailored to fit the needs of adolescents with…