Assessing Behaviors Regarded As Problematic For People With Developmental Disabilities

People with developmental disabilities sometimes behave in ways that others, or they themselves, regard as problematic. This original book is about what practitioners can do to make sense of behaviors, in order to support clients more effectively. The author offers practical strategies for gathering and analysing information about behaviors, in partnership with the individual concerned, in order to gain a useful understanding of why a particular behavior occurs. The inclusion of case histories, with corresponding behavior plans, clearly demonstrates the real-life application of assessment methods. With its strong emphasis on the importance of establishing equitable, respectful relationships between professionals and people with learning disabilities, this is a book that professionals involved in the lives of people with developmental disabilities will find invaluable.

The author offers practical strategies for gathering and analysing information about behaviors, in partnership with the individual concerned, in order to gain a useful understanding of why a particular behavior occurs. Case histories, with corresponding behavior plans, clearly demonstrate the real-life application of assessment methods.

This handbook helps professionals working with adults with intellectual disabilities to establish the needs of individuals through systematic assessment and to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the service they provide. A comprehensive handbook for professionals working with adults with intellectual disabilities. Enables these professionals to establish the needs of individuals Helps them to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the service they provide. Expert contributions include conceptual chapters and descriptions of selected assessment instruments. Covers the full spectrum of need, including adults with mental health difficulties, behavioural problems, forensic needs and assessment of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities, and those suspected of developing dementia.

This workbook is designed for parents of children with developmental disabilities. It offers step-by-step instructions for drawing up and implementing behaviour plans that successfully address and improve challenging behaviours. The book is full of checklists and activities to monitor and assess behaviours and track a child's development.

This book offers effective, long-term strategies to resolve common problem behaviours such as physical aggression, self-injury, verbal abuse, and property damage. It is organized around common messages conveyed by behaviours and the underlying issues driving these messages. Practical ideas for intervention are provided alongside case examples.

Challenging Behaviour and Developmental Disability brings together a range of evidence from different fields forming a coherent theory of challenging behaviour. The result is not only a better understanding of the nature of challenging behaviour in people with developmental disabilities, but also a clear delineation of the basic principles that guide assessment and intervention. The authors explore the various individual traits, social contexts and environmental factors that influence the development and persistence of aggression, self injury, extreme tantrums, and other forms of challenging behaviour. Ethical issues that arise in supporting individuals with challenging behaviour in typical home, school and community settings are exposed, as are difficulties of designing treatments without knowledge of the causes of behaviour. Reliance on the more typical technique-driven approach is discarded in favour of an evidence-based approach that focuses on the basic principles that underlie effective interventions. With its focus on the basic principles that underlie effective clinical practice, this book will be a tremendous asset to graduate students, beginning researchers and clinicians in psychology, special education, speech and language pathology, occupational therapy, social work and related disciplines.

This book, prepared in response to a request from the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, reviews the published literature on positive behavior interventions and uses this database to provide four main content areas for research. Positive behavior support (PBS) is defined as an approach for dealing with problem behavior that focuses on the remediation of deficient contexts (such as environmental conditions and/or behavioral repertoires) that by functional assessment are documented to be the source of the problem. The research published on PBS between 1985 and 1996 (n=107 articles) was reviewed with respect to four categories of variables: demographics, assessment practices, intervention strategies, and outcomes. Results indicated that: (1) PBS is widely applicable to people with serious problem behavior; (2) the field is growing rapidly overall, but especially in the use of assessment and in interventions that focus on correcting environmental deficiencies; (3) using stringent criteria of success, PBS is effective in reducing problem behavior in one-half to two-thirds of cases; (4) success rates nearly double when intervention is based on a prior functional assessment; and (5) consumer needs that emphasize comprehensive lifestyle support, long-term change, practicality and relevance, and direct support for consumers themselves are inadequately addressed by the research base. Recommendations are made for bridging the research-to-practice gap. (Contains more than 300 references.) (Author/CR)

A practical guide to adaptive behaviors across a range of neurodevelopmental disorders Adaptive behavior assessment measures independent living skills, including communication, social skills, personal care, and practical work skills. For individuals with intellectual disabilities, evaluation of these skills is a critical tool for measuring eligibility and can identify specific skills that must be learned before effective educational interventions can be implemented. Essentials of Adaptive Behavior Assessment of Neurodevelopmental Disorders describes the role of adaptive behavior in assessment and treatment, and provides clear guidance for measurement. Case samples provide real-world illustration of behaviors and assessment, and systematic comparison of various measures are presented and explained to better inform planning. Individual chapters outline specific adaptive behaviors across a range of neurodevelopmental disorders, giving clinicians, practitioners, students, and researchers a better understanding of diagnostic differentials and how to place independent skill programming in treatment and intervention. Plan intervention and treatment based on accessible measurement guidelines across a range of disorders Gain a deeper understanding of adaptive functioning specific to ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, and genetic disorders Compare and contrast current measures to evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, and areas of overlap Quickly locate essential information with Rapid Reference and Caution boxes For individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, adaptive behaviors are the keys to independence; without them, these individuals will perpetually struggle with achieving optimum independence without the basic skills needed to function at home, in school, and in the community. Assessment allows these skills to be factored in to treatment and intervention planning, and can help improve the outcomes of other intervention methods. Essentials of Adaptive Behavior Assessment of Neurodevelopmental Disorders clarifies the assessment of these important behaviors, helping clinicians make more informed decisions around diagnosis, education, and treatment planning.