Mental Illness or Behavior?...

A question that I often hear is “Is this behavioral or a mental illness?” I often cringe at this question because it can have many, many different meanings. “Is this behavior by choice?” “Should we have a behavior plan?” “Is he being naughty?” “Is there a pill for this?” “Should we expect him to do better?” As you will see the unequivocal answer to all these questions is… yes and no. It is well...

Grieving and Developmental Disabilities...

Individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (ID/DD), according to research, often experience prolonged or complicated grief. There can be several reasons for this. First the problem is largely ignored. Research shows a denial in family and paid caregivers (and professionals) that persons with DD’s grieve. In fact they do grieve, and prolonged grief may turn into depression, mania, aggression, or...