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Who is treated using restrictive behavioral procedures?

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Abstract

Controversy about the use of restrictive behavioral procedures persists within the field of developmental disabilities. Many advocates and proponents of the use of exclusively nonrestrictive behavioral procedures have argued that restrictive procedures pose unacceptably high risks of adverse side effects and harm to the people who are treated with them. Yet, little is known about the extent to which procedures like timeout, manual restraint, and overcorrection are actually used in the treatment of people with developmental disabilities who manifest severe behavior disorders. In this article, data gathered on a national sample of people with developmental disabilities age 45 years and older are reviewed to ascertain the extent to which several restrictive procedures are being used in treatment. Findings indicate that these procedures are not being used in an indiscriminate manner.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Policy, Planning, and Service Design, New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Albany, New York

    John W. Jacobson

  2. Independent Living in the Capital District, Inc., Schenectady, New York

    John W. Jacobson

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  1. John W. Jacobson
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Jacobson, J.W. Who is treated using restrictive behavioral procedures?. J Dev Phys Disabil 4, 99–113 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046393

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