Background: Longitudinal research is needed to strengthen evidence for risk factors for challenging behaviour in children with intellectual disabilities and to understand patterns of change over time. Methods: Data on challenging behaviour were collected for 225 students in one school over four annual time points and a range of potential risk…

A systematic literature review was undertaken to ascertain the prevalence of self-harm and suicidal behaviour in children and young people under 18 years old with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with or without an intellectual disability. There was variation in the reported prevalence rates but results suggested that rates of both…

Parents of children with ASD who had attended an Australian emergency department (ED; n = 421) completed a questionnaire relating to their experiences in the ED, including (1) child's reason for presentation and existing comorbidities, (2) quality of care during the visit (3) child's behaviour during visit, e.g. sensory responses to the ED…

Psychiatric disorders are common in youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is a vulnerable group of children whose behavioural problems often have more complicated care needs than other children, which can place a great deal of stress on their families. However, the association of family mental health issues, level of…

Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is associated with repetitive and self-injurious behaviors (RBs, SIB). Evaluating children with CdLS, this study: (1) characterizes the spectrum of RBs; (2) characterizes the impact and severity of RBs including SIB; (3) describes how age and adaptive functioning relate to RBs including SIB. Fifty children…

Introduction: Challenging behaviors are common in individuals with developmental disabilities and pose significant challenges to their well-being and that of their families and communities. Method: We explored the occurrence and predictors of self-injurious behavior and aggressive/destructive behavior in 372 Canadian youths (aged 4-20 years) with…

Background: The aim was to investigate the aggressive behavior of young people in specialized institutions with intellectual disability (ID) with or without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method: Data on 305 institutionalized young people were collected using two aggression scales, the 'Children's Scale of Hostility and Aggression:…

Background: Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are more likely to engage in problem behaviours than peers with typical development. The purpose of this study was to provide descriptive and qualitative information about problem behaviours in children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and how families respond to these…

Several studies reported a higher prevalence of maladaptive behaviors in children and adolescents with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) compared with typically developing youths. Early studies reported that up to 57% of youths with visual impairments also have mental health problems. These include problems with…

Background: Behaviour problems are most common in people with intellectual disabilities. Nature of behaviour problems can vary depending upon the age, sex and intellectual level (IQ). Objectives: This study examined the distribution of behaviour problems across intellectual disability categories and their association with IQ age and sex in…

The application of telehealth technology to conduct functional analysis (FA) and functional communication training (FCT) is emerging for children with developmental disabilities and behaviour support needs. The current study was designed to extend FA + FCT for self-injurious behaviour by using telehealth in home with parents as interventionists…

This article reports the findings of a literature review of research that has explored the support experiences of family carers of a person with an intellectual disability who displays challenging behaviour and/or has a mental health problem. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the reported experiences of family carers from…

Developmental science integrates concepts from developmental medicine, human genetics, developmental and clinical psychology to understand behavioural adjustment and maladjustment in children, adolescents and adults as a product of the transactions between the child, its biological organization and its social experience. Put into such a…