Background: People with neurodevelopmental disabilities are frequently prescribed or administered psychotropic medication, particularly to manage behaviours of concern. Reducing inappropriate psychotropic use has been the target of international research and policy for several decades. Methods: Six electronic databases were searched for…

Autistic people with intellectual disabilities appear to be at increased risk of schizophrenia. While current recommendations emphasize adapting interventions used for people with schizophrenia in general, few studies to date have investigated treatment of co-occurring schizophrenia in this specific population. To explore what interventions are…

Applied behavioral pharmacology explores how drugs may influence problem behavior in persons with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD). A comprehensive review was conducted featuring single-case experimental designs in the domain of applied behavioral pharmacology to evaluate and report on study quality. Studies included in the review…

Background: Challenging behaviours are common among children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Such behaviours often result in poor quality of life outcomes such as physical injury, difficulties with relationships and community integration. Aim: This systematic review aimed to synthesise evidence from studies that assessed the effect…

Due to the increased risks of neurocognitive impairment when a child is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) at an early age, early identification and assessment are critical. A study by Nadebaum et al. (2012) found that cognition is impaired in a significant number of children at the time of diagnosis, and those who are initially impaired show a…

Background: Interventions for challenging behaviours in individuals with intellectual disabilities benefit from outcome monitoring that takes clients' preferences into account. We determined clients' and representatives' preferred outcome domains and measures to secure their involvement in treatment decisions for challenging behaviours. Method: We…

There are currently no approved pharmacological treatments to improve social reciprocity and limit repetitive and rigid behaviors in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We describe the design of two Phase III studies evaluating the efficacy/safety of bumetanide oral liquid formulation in ASD. These are international, multicenter, randomized,…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong disorder. In the UK, risperidone is the only psychotropic medication approved for the management of the behavioural symptoms that may accompany autism. This is a population-based study aimed to provide an evaluation of the changing trend in the incidence and prevalence of ASD and to analyse the pattern…

Historically sleep was considered a passive activity, but research now strongly suggests that it is a time of neurological growth, where memories and skills are consolidated (Fallone et al., 2002). Good sleep is thought to influence cognitive, physical and emotional performance, and aid in effective emotional regulation (Alfano & Gamble,…

Aerophagia is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by excessive swallowing of air associated with abdominal distension and pain, flatulence, belching, nausea, and vomiting. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an antecedent-based behavioral intervention on aerophagia with an adolescent female…

The use of standardized assessment in evidence-based practice (EBP) is critical in identifying empirically supported interventions (ESIs); however, the subject has received minimal attention in the literature. In a sample of child welfare involved youth, this study sought to determine whether there was a relationship between dimensions of trauma…

This study evaluates the implementation of Safewards on an assessment and treatment unit (ATU) for people with an intellectual disability. There are no previous studies evaluating this model in this context and previous research has focused largely on acute mental health services. The 'Patient-Staff Conflict Shift Report' was used at baseline for…

Background: Traditional treatment for the behavioural symptoms in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains unsatisfactory. There is an urgent need for new, biologically relevant therapies that target both the core and comorbid symptoms that children may experience. This article builds on research previously published by the authors. Method: We…

Using a dataset involving 415 individuals with irritability, aggression, agitation and self-injury (IAAS) behaviors from the fragile X syndrome (FXS) FORWARD database, we describe the psychopharmacologic management of IAAS and features of the population of persons with FXS treated with drug therapy for IAAS. Among those with FXS exhibiting IAAS,…

Background: Challenging behaviour is a common problem among people with ID and in services for people with ID. This paper aims to provide an overview of the views and preferences of people with ID on challenging behaviour. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen adults with mild to moderate ID and seven proxies (family or…