Behavior support of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Contemporary research applications: Introduction to the special issue

摘要

The discipline of applied behavior analysis (ABA) has been instrumental in improving the lives of people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD). Many effective strategies have been validated for teaching adaptive skills, reducing challenging behaviors, and promoting a meaningful quality of life. Concerning assessment and evaluation methods, ABA contributions include functional behavioral assessment (FBA), functional analysis (FA), and single-case research designs. More recently, greater attention has been paid to "systems" level intervention focusing on large scale behavior-change within schools, habilitation settings, and human services organizations. This special issue of the Journal of Physical and Developmental Disabilities concerns contemporary ABA research applications with people who have ID/DD, highlighting the breadth of topics, procedures, and outcomes that characterize current-day practices.