title: Toward a functional analysis of drug treatment for behavior problems of people with developmental disabilities.
abstract: A brief review of the use of psychotropic medications for people with developmental disabilities was presented. Although in some cases therapeutic effects were obtained, in many cases no positive effects, or negative ones, were observed. We suggest that prescribing drugs based on topographical features of the problem behavior (e.g., self-hitting), without considering the function the behavior serves for an individual, contributes to the variability in clinical response. Functional analyses of behavior disorders, with appropriate consideration of the neurochemical and developmental variables involved, may provide the basis for a more rational approach to pharmacotherapy for people with developmental disabilities.
authors: West Virginia University.
authors: D W
authors: DW
authors: Schaal
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Hackenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs