Trends in the use of Restrictive and Aversive Procedures in A Facility for Developmentally Disabled Persons

Abstract

The need for monitoring systems in institutions for the mentally retarded has emerged in order to safeguard residents from the inappropriate use of restrictive and aversive procedures. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the impact of a monitoring system on trends in the use of such restrictive or aversive procedures in psychoactive medications and behavior modification techniques. Further, the study investigated changes in certain maladaptive behaviors after the establishment of a behavior management committee. The findings reflected significant decreases in the use of medication to control behavior as well as in several targeted behaviors. Though a causal relationship between the results and the presence of the monitoring system cannot be stated due to the retrospective nature of the study, the findings do lend indirect support for the potential of such a mechanism for influencing the structure, content and effectiveness of individual programs for residents.

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