Behavior & Social Learning...

Behavior plans are the primary mental health vehicle for persons with developmental (intellectual) disabilities.  Too often they are left on their own to collect data like proverbial dust and repeated annually like a boring movie sequel.  Nearly every staff I’ve met states that it “isn’t going to work” or is frustrated beyond belief (and sometimes to abuse) with trying to follow the...

Extended Family Home – the good and the bad....

Extended family home (EFH) services are a paid family who contracts with a state recognized developmental disabilities (DD) agency to provide care and training to an individual with DD. EFH is an incredible opportunity for persons with DD, but also a very big risk not to be taken lightly by the individual or their guardian. The ideal of living in a family home is indeed alluring. There is one (or two) persons (versus eight to...

Prolonged or Complicated Grief...

Grief is an individual and personal process.  No one grieves the same or for the same length of time.  Still, there are times when grief seems to linger and one wonders if it will ever subside.  There is growing evidence of a diagnosable set of symptoms that may indicated what experts are calling Prolonged Grief Disorder.  Prolonged Grief Disorder has been associated with suicide, cardiovascular problems, major depressive...

Caregiver Self-care, Support & Counseling...

Caregiving is likely to be an “unanticipated career” for nearly everyone at some time in their life.  Caregiving will usually fall to women because caregiving tasks are culturally viewed as “feminine” and because women spouses typically outlive their male counterparts.  Learning about self-care and coping while caregiving is important because stress (caregiving can be highly stressful) decreases...

Autism Facts and Testing: Early Detection is Key...

Recent guidance for pediatricians regarding screening of children with autism and autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger’s syndrome, by the American Academy of Pediatrics, opens with the statement that autism spectrum disorders are as common as one in every 150 children. The American Academy of Pediatrics along with the Centers for Disease Control, and Health and Human Services have issued a joint statement,...

Why behavior plans fail!...

One of the most common mental health interventions for persons with intellectual (developmental) disabilities is a behavior support plan. They have been called behavior management plans, behavior intervention plans, and behavior modification plans. What ever their name they represent one of the best tools to help people get what they want and need appropriately and safely – but often they are continued year after year...