Background: Previous evaluations of community PBS teams have not investigated whether behaviour change is both statistically reliable and clinically significant. Few previous studies have reported quality of life (QoL) and social validity outcomes. Method: The present authors collected data on 85 people referred to a specialist PBS team. The…

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience challenges with social skill interactions that may affect their quality of life. Given that parents are often the most frequent and constant presence in their child's life, parents serve a vital role in their child's social and behavioral development. For this reason, children may…

The impact of ASD on parental QOL was evaluated in the EpiTED cohort study at early adulthood. Two-third of parents of young adults with ASD (66.7%) reported that their QoL was at least moderately altered. The perceived impact of ASD on parental QoL was related to the young adults' level of adaptive skills, as well as to symptom severity and the…

A number of studies have used mindfulness-based interventions to influence the behavior of people with intellectual disabilities, to improve their quality of life, and to reduce challenging behavior. The present review critically evaluates 18 studies and assesses the clinical and academic impact of their findings. Strengths identified included…

Background: Positive behaviour support emphasises the impact of contextual variables to enhance participation, choice, and quality of life. This study evaluates a sequence for implementing changes to key contextual variables for 4 individuals. Interventions were maintained and data collection continued over a 3-year period. Method: Functional…

Background: Self-injurious behaviour (SIB) is a relatively common problem for people with intellectual disabilities and it is known to be associated with various risk markers, such as degree of disability, sensory impairments, and autism (McClintock "et al." 2003). Less is known about its long-term course however. Method: The present…

Background: Owing to methodological issues, little research has been conducted to examine quality of life (QoL) as a treatment outcome in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disabilities (ID). This study was conducted to combine QoL measures and objective observations of challenging behaviours (CB) in order to evaluate changes over…

This commentary discusses how existing technology and application of functional assessment can be expanded to improve the lives of more people with severe disabilities. It emphasizes how functional assessment can enhance life quality in typical settings in which people with severe disabilities and challenging behavior live, work, and play.…

Two adults and two children with severe disabilities and challenging behaviors participated in the Lifestyle Development Process, in which a planning process was implemented to develop a vision of a quality life, remediate barriers to participation, and develop intervention strategies. All participants increased their number of preferred,…

This review of behavioral research on teaching individuals with profound multiple handicaps found that behavior change has resulted from contingency management interventions, but the behavior changes cannot be described as beneficially affecting the individuals' quality of life. Explanations for this are offered, and suggestions for future…

Supporting people with disabilities in expressing preferences and making choices is a core value in positive behavior support. Indeed, in recent years, the field has increasingly focused its attention on the importance of making choices and the potential benefits of choice-making opportunities in enhancing the quality of life of people with…

One aspect of family-centered positive behavior support (PBS) that has not received great attention to date involves the indirect benefits on the lives of family members who have children with challenging behavior. For instance, reductions in a child's problem behaviors could enhance the lifestyle status of parents and other family members.…