Family Accommodation and Severe Problem Behavior: Considering Family-Based Interventions to Expand Function-Based...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Child Psychology
• Developmental Disabilities

Background:

• Family accommodation involves caregivers enabling child anxiety or severe problem behavior (SPB).
• This pattern is observed in child anxiety and in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) exhibiting SPB.
• Caregiver actions like providing attention or removing demands can temporarily stop SPB but maintain it long-term.

Discussion:

• Parallels exist between treating family accommodation in child anxiety and managing SPB in children with IDD.
• The concept of family accommodation can be adapted to help caregivers of children with SPB approach previously avoided situations.
• Function-based treatments for SPB can be expanded by targeting family accommodation.

Key Insights:

• Family accommodation is a transdiagnostic phenomenon relevant to both child anxiety and SPB in IDD.
• Caregiver behavior plays a crucial role in the maintenance of problematic behaviors.
• Adapting interventions across different child populations can enhance treatment efficacy.

Outlook:

• Further research can explore the direct application of family accommodation interventions for SPB in children with IDD.
• Developing caregiver training programs based on family accommodation principles may improve treatment outcomes.
• This approach offers a novel pathway to expand existing function-based behavior support strategies.