Mental health articles

Different kinds of therapeutic interventions
The intervention is usually made up of a number of parts, and they are
related to the function of the behaviour. They usually focus on what the
person finds reinforcing, changing the environment where the challenging
behaviour occurs and teaching a more appropriate response than the
challenging behaviour.
People with intellectual disabilities often find that the routines of their
lives, and the activities they take part in, are determined more by other
people than by choosing what they want to do themselves. One aspect of
intervention may therefore consist of developing preferred activities – if a
person becomes challenging when asked to engage in a particular activity,
it may be appropriate to change this for another one which they enjoy and
want to participate in.
Challenging behaviour may occur in certain contexts, and changing
the environment around the person, or the context in which it occurs, can
have significant effects. This may involve making more activities available,
changing routines, or changing the way in which an activity is offered.
Making these changes is sometimes difficult when there are other family
members to be considered, so there should be a lot of discussion between
you and the psychologist about what is realistic and useful.

Tags: intervention