title: Assessing the Impact of Psychotropic Medication Changes on Challenging Behavior of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The use of psychotropic medication to address challenging behavior in individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities is common practice; however, very few studies have examined how multiple medication use (or combination treatment) impacts the behaviors these medications are prescribed to treat.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study followed eight individuals over a two-year period as they experienced changes in their psychotropic medication regimens. During that time, data from functional analyses and indirect assessments of challenging behavior were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results suggest that changes in psychotropic medication regimens can produce changes in functional assessment outcomes, suggesting a need for continued behavioral assessment to better inform medication practices and behavioral treatment. Of the eight participants in the study, five participants' behaviors varied in rate of responding in FAs across all medication changes. Additionally, three participants' FAs produced changes in outcomes; however, those changes were not consistent across all medication changes, that is, not every medication change yielded different outcomes from previous assessments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates how the outcome of an FA can be used to monitor the effects of psychotropic medication changes, specifically when medications are combined, on challenging behavior in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
authors.affiliation: Drake University.
authors.forename: Maria G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Valdovinos
authors.affiliation: Drake University.
authors.forename: Meara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henninger-McMahon
authors.affiliation: Drake University.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schieber
authors.affiliation: Drake University.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beard
authors.affiliation: Drake University.
authors.forename: Brenna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Conley
authors.affiliation: Drake University.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haas
keywords: challenging behavior; functional analysis; intellectual disability; psychotropic medication