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Intensive Outpatient Treatment for Patients With Severe Externalizing Behavior and Intellectual and Developmental
Meara X H McMahon1,2, Mindy C Scheithauer1,2, Jessica L Herrod1,2
1Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Marcus Autism Center, Atlanta, GA.
Summary
Intensive behavioral treatment significantly reduced severe externalizing behaviors in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Most participants achieved their goals, showing the program
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Severe externalizing behaviors (aggression, self-injury) pose significant risks for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
- Effective, intensive interventions are crucial for managing these challenging behaviors and improving quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of an intensive outpatient behavioral treatment program.
- To assess the reduction in severe externalizing behaviors among children with IDD.
- To determine the extent to which caregiver-directed goals were met.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective electronic health record review of 40 patients (ages 6-19) with severe externalizing behaviors.
- Intensive outpatient model: daily, 5-hour sessions (Mon-Fri) for ~5 months, based on applied behavior analysis.
- Data extraction included participant characteristics, behavioral outcomes, intervention components, and goal attainment.
Main Results:
- All participants diagnosed with autism; 80% had co-occurring intellectual disability.
- Primary behaviors included aggression (87.5%), disruption (82.5%), and self-injury (67.5%).
- Significant outcomes: 90.74% reduction in externalizing behaviors and 82.5% caregiver-directed goal attainment at discharge.
Conclusions:
- Intensive behavioral treatment demonstrates provisional benefits for children with IDD and severe externalizing behaviors.
- The findings support the utility of applied behavior analysis in intensive outpatient settings.
- This approach shows promise for improving behavioral outcomes and family-centered goals.
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