Evaluating staff training: Taking account of interactions between staff and clients with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour

Abstract

Background Hastings (2010) has recently emphasised 3 aspects in the training of staff who serve clients with mild to moderate intellectual disability and challenging behaviour (CB): Staff attitudes, self-awareness, and clients' perspectives. This study investigates whether programs include these aspects.

Method A systematic search yielded 11 relevant articles.

Results Generally, all programs aimed to improve staff knowledge and skills. Client variables concerned frequencies and severities of CB. None of the studies included clients' perspectives or staff attitudes and self-awareness.

Conclusions The fact that staff attitudes and awareness or clients' perspectives were not among the main goals of the training studies suggests that recent views of effective treatment of CB are not yet the object of scientific study. Given the acknowledgment of these aspects, it is warranted that future research focuses upon these recent insights.

Keywords:

• training
• intellectual disability
• challenging behaviour
• attitudes
• self-awareness

Acknowledgements

This research received financial support from Amarant, a Dutch care organisation serving people with intellectual disability. The organisation of Amarant did not impose any restrictions on free access to, or publication of, the research data. The authors declare no financial or nonfinancial conflicts of interest that may arise from the publication of this paper.

Notes

1 ECTS refers to European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. ECTS is a standard for comparing the study attainment and performance of European students of higher education.