Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 10 of 12
Incidence, types and characteristics of aggressive behaviour in treatment facilities for adults with mild intellectual disability and severe challenging behaviour
- Authors:
- TENNEIJ N. H., KOOT H. M.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 52(2), February 2008, pp.114-124.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Inpatient aggression in treatment facilities for persons with intellectual disability (ID) can have aversive consequences, for co-clients and staff, but also for the aggressors themselves. To manage and eventually prevent inpatient aggressive incidents, more knowledge about their types and characteristics is necessary. In four facilities, totalling 150 beds, specialized in the treatment of adults with mild ID or severe challenging behaviour, aggressive incidents were registered during 20 weeks using the Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised. Characteristics of auto-aggressive and outwardly directed incidents and differences in their incidence in male and female clients in these facilities were compared. During the observation period of 20 weeks, 639 aggressive incidents were documented. Most of these (71%) were outwardly directed, predominantly towards staff, while most of the remaining incidents were of an auto-aggressive nature. Of the 185 clients present during the observation period, 44% were involved in outwardly directed incidents (range per client 1–34), and 12% in auto-aggressive incidents (range per client 1–92). Auto-aggressive and outwardly directed incidents differed regarding source of provocation, means used during the incident, consequences of the incident and measures taken to stop the incident. The proportion of men and women involved in each type of incident was comparable, as well as the majority of the characteristics of outwardly directed incidents caused by men and women. Although approximately half of all clients were involved in aggressive incidents, a small minority of clients were responsible for the majority of incidents. Therefore, better management and prevention of aggressive incidents for only a small group of clients could result in a considerable overall reduction of aggressive incidents in treatment facilities. Comparability of aggressive behaviour in these facilities shown by men and women and differences in characteristics of auto-aggressive and outwardly directed incidents are discussed.
Understanding and treating offenders with learning disabilities: a review of recent developments
- Authors:
- TAYLOR John L., LINDSAY William R.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Learning Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 1(1), April 2010, pp.5-16.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This narrative review first presents and discusses recent developments relating to offenders with learning disabilities, looks at the historical association between crime and low intelligence, and then investigates the evidence concerning the prevalence of offending by people with learning disabilities, and their recidivism rates. The authors summarise research concerning service pathways for this population, and outline progress in the development of actuarial, dynamic and clinical assessments of the future risk of offending. Secondly, the paper focuses on a review of the evidence for, and recent developments in, the treatment of offending behaviour (anger and aggression, sexual offending and fire-setting), utilising broadly cognitive behaviourally-based approaches. Finally, the authors propose future directions for research and practice innovation.
Anger treatment for people with developmental disabilities: a theory, evidence and manual based approach
- Authors:
- TAYLOR John L., NOVACO Raymond W.
- Publisher:
- John Wiley and Sons
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 256p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Chichester
Anger and aggression are prevalent problems among people with developmental disabilities and constitute primary reasons for them to be admitted and re-admitted to institutions. They are also a key reason for the prescribing of behaviour control and anti-psychotic medication to this client group. Stimulated by growing research in this area, mental health and criminal justice professionals have begun to see the benefits of anger assessment and cognitive-behavioural anger treatment for people with developmental disabilities. This text presents a manual-guided cognitive-behavioural anger treatment protocol, grounded in a solid theoretical framework and empirical evidence for its efficacy in clinical practice. The assessment and treatment approach is designed to engage and motivate patients with recurrent and deep-rooted anger problems and their manifestation in serious aggressive behaviour. Accompanying the treatment protocol are a number of worksheets, handouts, and exercise sheets for clinicians and clients that can be accessed online.
Effects of functional versus non-functional explanations for challenging behaviours on treatment acceptability
- Authors:
- McCAUSLAND Darragh, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Learning Disabilities, 8(4), December 2004, pp.351-369.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The study evaluated the effects of type of information naive participants received about challenging behaviour on ratings of acceptability of two multi-element treatment plans. Three groups of 20 undergraduate students with no experience of intellectual disability watched an identical 5 minute acted video of an individual with an intellectual disability engage in aggressive behaviour. Voiceover on the video differed: one group was exposed to information derived from a functional assessment, one to causal information that reflected personality and emotional factors, and the third to no causal information. Participants then rated two multielement treatment plans: one based upon functional assessment, and the other upon general non-aversive interventions. Results indicate that all groups were more accepting of the functional plan. However, individuals exposed to information derived from functional assessment were less accepting of non-functional treatment plans. Results have implications for staff cultures and the explanations for challenging behaviours that these cultures endorse.
People with learning disabilities in a low secure in-patient unit: comparison of offenders and non-offenders
- Authors:
- REED Suzie, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 185(12), December 2004, pp.499-504.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
People with learning disability who exhibit challenging behaviour are frequently segregated from services and local teams are often reluctant to receive them back into their care. This situation is worse in those whose challenging behaviour includes a forensic history, but the difference between those labelled as challenging and those treated as offenders is not clear, and there is a lack of evidence about treatment effectiveness. The aim was to test between-group differences in aggression and treatment outcome in people with learning disability and challenging behaviour, with and without a forensic history. Clinical records of 86 former in-patients (45 offenders and 41 non-offenders) of a specialist unit were compared on measures of behavioural disturbance and placement outcome. People in the offenders group were significantly less likely to be aggressive to others and to use weapons, but significantly more likely to harm themselves compared with the non-offenders group. Both groups had a significant reduction in their challenging behaviour during admission, and there was no significant difference in treatment outcome. The negative reputation of people with learning disabilities who offend needs to be reconsidered.
Cognitive-behavioural treatment of anger intensity among offenders with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- TAYLOR John L., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 15(2), 2002, pp.151-165.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Reports on a pilot study of an elaborated anger treatment protocol comparing the specialised anger treatment with routine care. Detained men with intellectual disabilities and histories of offending were allocated to specially modified cognitive-behavioural anger treatment or to routine care waiting-list control conditions. Treatment outcome was evaluated by participants' self-report of anger intensity to an inventory of provocations and by staff-ratings of the anger attributes of participants' ward behaviour. Participants' reported anger intensity was significantly lower following the anger treatment, compared to the routine care wait-list condition. Limited evidence for the effectiveness of anger treatment was provided by the staff ratings of participant behaviour post-treatment. Calls for further research to examine the mechanisms for change and their sustainability.
Using specific approaches for individual problems in the management of anger and aggression
- Authors:
- LINDSAY William R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 26(2), 1998, pp.44-50.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article investigates treatment for anger and aggression using a variety of methods in people with learning difficulties. Treatment approaches include two forms of relaxation (BRT and APR), discussions and exercises on the understanding of emotion, role-plays to develop skills for dealing with feelings of anger, and exercises in the way in which individuals construe various situations.
The reduction of aggression in people with learning difficulties: a review of psychological methods
- Author:
- WHITAKER Simon
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 32(1), February 1993, pp.1-37.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Reviews the literature on the reduction of aggression in people with learning difficulties and finds that methods used were predominantly evaluated in staffed settings and with target behaviours more frequent than once a day, in contrast to the findings of a recent survey which found that the majority of aggressive individuals are living in the community and show aggression less than once a day. Argues that it may be necessary to develop and evaluate a new technology for reducing aggression.
Challenging behaviour and mental handicap: a psychological perspective
- Editors:
- JONES Robert S.P., EAYRS Caroline B.
- Publisher:
- British Institute of Learning Disabilities
- Publication year:
- 1993
- Pagination:
- 277p.,tables,bibliogs.
- Place of publication:
- Clevedon
Contains chapters on: the nature of challenging behaviour; service responses (including normalisation, community care, managing violent and aggressive behaviour, and aversive procedures); theoretical issues; and future directions.
Experimental effects of manipulating attributional information about challenging behaviour
- Authors:
- NOONE Stephen J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 16(4), December 2003, pp.295-301.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The informal staff culture in intellectual disability services has been proposed as a significant factor determining staff perceptions of, and responses towards, challenging behaviours. However, research to date has been exclusively descriptive. Methods An experimental analogue of one potentially salient aspect of staff informal culture, the causal language used to describe challenging behaviours, was developed. Naïve participants (N = 84 students) rated attributional dimensions and optimism after viewing a video of aggressive behaviour. Participants were exposed to vignettes in which information about the behaviour's controllability and stability was manipulated prior to viewing the video. Results Controllability and stability manipulations affected later perception of dimensions of causal attributions (e.g. behaviour presented as controllable was rated as caused by factors more likely to be internal to the depicted client), and optimism (e.g. behaviour presented as stable was associated with a less positive perception of potential for change). Conclusion Staff talk in intellectual disability services, especially language communicating causal information, is likely to affect perceptions of subsequent incidents of challenging behaviours. This may have important implications for the treatment and assessment of challenging behaviour. Further research is needed to replicate and extend the findings of this study and also to contribute to the development of external validity.