Treatment of problem behaviour in individuals with intellectual disability

Response contingent procedures may be more effective than other categories of treatment. Externally destructive behaviours are the most difficult to treat successfully.

A systematic review including 482 studies was abstracted in DARE.

Response contingent procedures (e.g. guided movement training) were significantly more effective than antecedent control procedures (e.g. diet)(p<0.001), pharmacology (p<0.001) and response non-contingent procedures (e.g. differential reinforcement of other behaviour) (p<0.001). Response non-contingent procedures were significantly more effective than pharmacology (p<0.001). Behaviours defined as externally destructive tend to be less successfully treated than behaviours defined as internally maladaptive or as socially disruptive.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by inconsistency (heterogeneity in results in different populations) and imprecise results (few patients, no control groups).

Ədəbiyyat

1. Didden R, Duker PC, Korzilius H. Meta-analytic study on treatment effectiveness for problem behaviors with individuals who have mental retardation. Am J Ment Retard 1997 Jan;101(4):387-99.