Predecessors of Behavioural Initiatives by People With Profound Intellectual Disabilities During Their Interactions With Support Staff: An Exploratory Microanalytical Analysis

Background

Initiating meaningful moments of interaction with people with profound intellectual disabilities can prove to be difficult for support staff. Exploring the behaviour of support staff that precedes the initiations of behaviour by people with profound intellectual disabilities helps to shed light upon the potential facilitating effects of staff behaviour.

Methods

Three meaningful moments of interaction between support staff and people with profound intellectual disabilities that were recorded were then microanalytically coded, along with the initial onset of these moments. Each behaviour initiated by people with profound intellectual disabilities was examined to see what specific behaviour by the support staff began precedingly.

Findings

The most frequently displayed ‘staff–client’ behavioural sequences were ‘looking’, ‘moving with head’, ‘moving with arms’ or ‘vocalisation’ of support staff followed by the person with profound intellectual disabilities ‘moving with head’, the staff member ‘moving with arms’ followed by the person with profound intellectual disabilities ‘moving with arms’ and the staff member ‘touching’ followed by the person with profound intellectual disabilities ‘vocalising’. These behavioural sequences occurred less frequently during meaningful moments of interaction in comparison to their onset.

Conclusions

It is important that support staff are cognisant of all the (subtle) behavioural changes in people with profound intellectual disabilities (especially movements with their head) to discern potential behavioural responses. Moreover, they should be cognisant of their own behaviour, insofar as the conscious use of behaviour may facilitate the development of meaningful interactions.