We have posted previously about the impact of carer attributions regarding the behaviour of people with learning disabilities and the impact these can have on carer responses. The authors of this systematic review were interested in the effects of carer training in challenging and complex behaviour. The researchers searched the literature and included papers that [read the full story…]
Staff responses to challenging behaviour in people with learning disabilities a dynamic and retroactive process
Emerson et al’s seminal definition of challenging behaviour identified not only its interactional nature, but also pointed out that people with such issues in their life were at risk of being denied access to regular community activities. The researchers in this study were interested in the gap that they believe exists between what we understand [read the full story…]
ABA reduced carer burden but was no more effective than standard care in improving social outcomes in people with learning disabilities
Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) is a way of helping people to change their behaviour by focusing on the observable relationship between behaviour to the environment. ABA has led to a range of specific procedures that have enabled analysts to develop tailored intervention programmes based on functional analysis, specifically designed for individuals in their environments. This [read the full story…]
Review highlights need for specific models to measure quality of life for people with learning disabilities
A key indicator of service outcomes for people with learning disabilities is quality of life. However, there continues to be debate in the literature about the best way to define this and the best way to measure it. Most of the major service providers in the UK for example have some form of routine outcome [read the full story…]
Case studies suggest solution focused brief therapy may be effective for people with mild learning disabilities
Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) is about brief interventions, focusing on solutions, rather than on the presenting problems. The early development of the therapy was based on the notion that even for people suffering chronic problems, there are periods when the difficulties do not occur or are less intense. It was posited by early pioneers of [read the full story…]
Short breaks services must adapt to support children with complex needs
Short break services provided to families of children with learning disabilities and severely challenging behaviour are offered as a key element of support. Critical to the success however is the way in which the service can be provided to fit the individual needs of the young person with complex needs. The authors of this study [read the full story…]
Teaching staff and family carers benefit from combined training around children with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour
The researchers in this study were interested in the impact of training in supporting children with learning disabilities described as having challenging g behaviour. This training may be delivered to families and to teachers, but rarely at the same time. The authors were interested in the impact on outcomes if training were delivered to both [read the full story…]
Using unnamed vignettes may underestimate carers responses to challenging behaviour in people with learning disabilities
This study looked at the responses of paid carers to incidents of challenging behaviour. The author was interested in the potential inconsistency of responses. Studies of responses to challenging behaviour have used stimuli that might generate different responses from carers to those that might be generated by actual instances of behaviour of real people. To [read the full story…]
Scottish study finds need for better knowledge of positive behaviour strategies for children with learning disabilities
How staff supporting children with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour is clearly of major importance. This Scottish study set out to look at the knowledge that teaching staff had regarding definitions of and management of challenging behaviour displayed by children with learning disability. They found that the levels of knowledge amongst staff levels were relatively [read the full story…]
Behavioural interventions impact on quality of life for children with fragile x syndrome
The supporters of children with fragile X syndrome often report behaviour that challenges as a major concern. The authors of this small-scale, multiple baseline design study set out to explore whether behaviourally-based interventions might result in reductions in problem behaviour and improvements in the quality of life for 3 children with fragile X syndrome and [read the full story…]