Aggressive behavior in individuals with moderate to borderline intellectual disabilities who live in a residential facility: an evaluation of functional variables.
We explored functional variables for aggressive behavior in 87 individuals with moderate to borderline intellectual disability who lived in a residential facility. For this purpose we used the Questions About Behavioral Function scale (QABF; Matson, J., & Vollmer, T. (1995). Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF). Baton Rouge, LA: Scientific Publications). Results show that in most clients subscales describing social function (i.e., Attention, Escape/Avoidance, Tangible) had significantly higher mean scores than subscales describing non-social function (i.e., Self-stimulation, Physical discomfort). Except for gender, there were no significant associations between mean subscale scores and client variables, such as psychiatric disorder, age, level of intellectual disability. Female clients had higher mean scores on subscales of Attention, Self-stimulation, and Physical discomfort than male clients. Results of our study suggest that in most cases, aggressive behavior is positively/negatively reinforced by social events. Implications for functional assessment and function-based treatment of aggressive behavior in these clients are discussed.
Embregts
Petri J C M
PJ
Department of Special Education/Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. p.embregts@pwo.ru.nl
Didden
Robert
R
Schreuder
Nicole
N
Huitink
Cecile
C
van Nieuwenhuijzen
M
M
D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D019989:Persons with Intellectual Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012112:Residential Facilities; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires