Innovative and Practical Approaches to Maladaptive Behavior:
Redefining Our Perspectives
Herbert K. Washington, Jr.
Aspire of Illinois
4100 Latt Dr.
DeKalb, IL 60162
hwashington@aspireofillinois.org
Defining, measuring, and modifying human behavior is a challenging endeavor, made more difficult in persons with developmental disabilities by varying degrees of cognitive impairment often accompanied by psychopathology. Developing and implementing effective and applicable interventions for the various maladaptive behaviors demonstrated by persons with developmental disabilities, often proves to be a daunting and intricate task. Several traditional approaches to managing maladaptive behavior compromise individual choice, dignity and autonomy. Treatment plans have often taken an outcome-driven approach to control behavior in lieu of person-centered planning aimed at developing behavior.
Contemporary trends in behavior analysis continue to emphasize an objective approach to
measuring and modifying behavior, however several of the existing paradigms do not translate to
in-vivo application and do not account for maladaptive behavior as symptom manifestation of
psychopathology - thus rendering them inadequate. Treatment plans continue to focus on the
extinction or management of behavior rather than functional development of individual behavior.
Management of behavior implies a reactive approach whereas development of behavior implies a
proactive approach; the former has an acute and transitory impact on holistic development while
the latter has a pervasive and longitudinal impact. Psychopharmacological treatment protocols
for persons with developmental disabilities traditionally have been inadequately developed with
poor outcomes primarily as a result of inadequacies in evaluation and an emphasis on termination
of behavioral difficulty by way of sedation or polypharmacy with disregard to adverse events and
individual choice and dignity.
Innovations in systematic assessment of behavior and subsequent behavior development planning
provide for novel intervention protocol design that is practical in application, person-centered,
respects individual dignity, and allows for personal growth and autonomy. Procedures such as
making maladaptive behavior functionally adaptive, response modeling, and independent
behavior development training, have demonstrated efficacy in developing individual behavior
regardless of psychosocial factors and the additional presence of psychopathology. Innovative
approaches to psychopharmacological treatment have yielded successful outcomes in the absence
of adverse events, sedation, and polypharmacy via diagnostic-driven minimalist treatment
strategies. It is by redefining our perspectives on treatment planning that successful outcomes
can be achieved and celebrated without compromising individual choice, dignity and autonomy.
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