Challenging behaviours: Views and preferences of people with intellectual disabilities.
Ria Wolkorte, Ingrid van Houwelingen, Marieke Kroezen
PMID 31183971WHAT IT FOUND
People with intellectual disabilities link challenging behaviour to unclear expectations and high demands from staff.
They prefer calm, consistent support and want to help decide on interventions. Many seek to reduce medication. These are patient preferences, not proven treatment outcomes.
Key findings
01Participants attributed challenging behaviour to a lack of structure and clarity in daily life, or to staff placing too many demands on them.
02People with ID want to be informed about and involved in decisions regarding interventions, rather than having them imposed.
03Staff anger escalates challenging behaviour; participants preferred being left alone in the heat of the moment and discussing it later.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Small sample size (20 interviews) prevents generalisation. Seven interviews were conducted with proxies rather than the individuals themselves. Participants were selected via purposive sampling by guideline developers, which may introduce bias.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these preferences as evidence that specific interventions (like sports or EMDR) are effective for reducing challenging behaviour. This study reports what patients want and find helpful, not what works clinically.