A Communication Training Programme for Residential Staff Working with Adults with Challenging Behaviour: Pilot Data on Intervention Effects

Background: Challenging behaviour often serves a communicative function. It therefore stands to reason that the residential staff working in developmental disability services require training to foster appropriate communicative interactions with adults with challenging behaviour. Method: Eighteen members of staff working in three residential services participated in a 4 week communication training programme. The programme focused on staff attitudes to and beliefs about challenging behaviour, communicative interactions between staff and residents and working as a team. Objective measurements were made of the effects of the training programme on staff use of augmentative and alternative communication, praise and use of inappropriate language in a multiple-baseline design across three organizations. Changes in the rate of challenging behaviours among the residents were also evaluated. Results: As staff's use of AAC and praise increased, and inappropriate language decreased, there was some concomitant decrease in residents' levels of challenging behaviour; however, these results were not sustained in the long-term. Conclusion: This pilot data suggest that an approach to staff training based on modifying attitudes and beliefs is potentially beneficial to both staff and residents.