Strategies that might be useful include:
Strategies that might be useful include:
Anti-social tendencies:
Adopting a person-centred approach:
A person centred approach means that those involved in caring for an individual take into account the specific needs, wants and preferences of the individual when developing a person centred care plan for them. The aim of a person centred approach is to empower the person with ID to be involved in decisions that affect their lives. There is some evidence to suggest that person centred approaches can help improve relationships and social interactions, increase independence and improve overall quality of life for people with ID. Caregivers can support their loved one to engage with healthcare practitioners to develop a person centred plan that is tailored to their individual needs, preferences and abilities. This plan should reflect what is important to them, set realistic goals and objectives and put in place a means of measuring progress. It should also involve input from the caregiver and other family members. Person centred care plans should further take into account what is achievable given the resources and services that are available to the individual
Routines:
If possible, it is helpful to have consistent routines. This can help reduce anxiety and assist with reducing challenging behaviours and increase independence in people with ID. Having a schedule of the day’s events and activities can be helpful. This may be visual rather than written if the person has trouble with literacy or with understanding numbers or the concept of time. Use clocks or egg-timers so that they know when it is time to move on to the next activity. Acknowledging completion of one task or activity will provide positive reinforcement and will encourage sticking to the schedule. Incorporating choices of activities within the schedule will help avoid monotony and will also increase the person’s control over their day.
Minimising challenging behaviours:
Identifying what triggers such behaviours will help to begin to address any problems. Changes to the environment may help reduce such behaviours. For example, for people with ID that have trouble with sensory processing, this might mean reducing noise levels in the home or changing the lighting in the house, if possible. Preventative strategies for challenging behaviours may involve identifying specific activities to divert and distract the individual with ID when they start to become distressed. Caregivers could explore different relaxation techniques, such as meditation or deep breathing, to practice daily with the person under their care. It is important to seek advice about any interventions to manage challenging behaviours from a health care professional such as a psychologist, occupational therapist or physician. Medication for challenging behaviours is usually a last resort measure where there is a significant risk of injury to the self or others. Medication should be used in conjunction with other behavioural management strategies and should always be overseen by a health care professional.
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