Including people with intellectual disabilities in the development of their own positive behaviour support plans

Abstract

Purpose People with intellectual disabilities are not routinely involved in the assessment of their behaviours that challenge, as this is often completed by a proxy respondent and the health-care professional. This is contrary to guidance stating that everyone should be involved in the planning of their care. This paper aims to show how health-care professionals can support people with intellectual disabilities to engage in the assessment of their behaviours that challenge and the subsequent development of their own positive behaviour support (PBS) plans. Design/methodology/approach A non-systematic review of the existing literature on improving the engagement of people with learning disabilities in health-care planning, and specifically PBS planning, was undertaken. Appropriate papers were included in this paper. Findings There are several evidence-based methods to improve people’s engagement in the assessment of their own behaviours that challenge and then the development of their PBS plans. These methods are discussed in terms of their application to supporting people to communicate and involving them in the process of developing a valid and meaningful PBS plan. This is a relatively new focus within the literature, and further research should focus on increasing engagement in the process, as well as monitoring how co-production affects PBS outcomes. Originality/value This paper summarises some of the approaches used to support people with intellectual disabilities to engage in the assessment of their behaviours that challenge and the development of their own PBS plans. This should encourage health-care professionals to consider how to use alternative and augmentative communication strategies to facilitate co-production in their own clinical practice.