Brief Report: Evaluating the Impact of Behavioural Concerns in Individuals With Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities.

Abstract

Background: Behavioural concerns, such as aggression and self-injury, are common among youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Additional research is needed to further explore the specific ways in which these types of behaviour impact individuals and their families.

Methods: Caregivers seeking treatment for their child's behavioural concerns completed an interview regarding the negative impact of their child's behaviour related to (a) physical harm to self or others, (b) property damage, (c) structural modifications, (d) situational avoidance and (e) reactive measures. We reviewed outcomes of these interviews to report on the prevalence of various negative impacts in this clinical sample.

Results: Most caregivers reported at least some physical harm (72.99%), property damage (63.99%) and preventative measures such as avoiding removing preferred items or activities (72.35%). Some caregivers endorsed severe negative impacts, such as the need for emergency services (10.61%) or residential placements (5.14%).

Conclusions: Caregivers in this clinical sample consistently endorsed negative impacts resulting from behavioural concerns. This information is crucial in advocating for additional services for this high-need population, and the interview used to gather this information may be a helpful tool to guide future research and clinical work.