Towards a framework in interaction training for staff working with clients with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour.
Boost staff self-efficacy and self-reflection first; these predict warm, calm interactions with clients who have ID and challenging behavior.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team asked 318 support staff to fill out a survey. Staff worked with adults who have intellectual disability and challenging behavior.
The survey measured how warm or dominant clients seemed, staff emotions, confidence, and self-reflection. The goal was to see which staff traits predict positive interactions.
What they found
Staff who felt calm and capable had the most positive interactions. Client warmth helped, but staff emotions and self-efficacy mattered more.
Self-reflection also played a role. When staff paused to think about their own reactions, they acted more warmly toward clients.
How this fits with other research
Griffith et al. (2012) showed that staff who blame the client feel more anger and use harsh styles. van Timmeren et al. (2016) keeps the blame-emotion link but adds confidence as the top lever.
Lambrechts et al. (2009) found that staff emotions rise with client behavior, yet blame did not always predict what staff did next. The new survey solves this by showing self-efficacy turns emotion into action.
Droogmans et al. (2024) later asked staff to keep diaries. Staff called a good moment “Harmonization.” The 2016 numbers give trainers the buttons to press so those moments happen more often.
Why it matters
Stop hoping staff will “just stay calm.” Target their confidence first. Add quick self-check questions after incidents. When staff believe they can cope, warm interactions follow and challenging events drop.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Training support staff in dealing with challenging behaviour in clients with intellectual disabilities (ID) is needed. The goal of this study is to determine which elements need to be incorporated in a training on staff interactions with these clients, building upon a framework and an interpersonal model. As in functional analysis, this study tests the influence of client interpersonal behaviour, three types of staff reactions to challenging behaviour, two types of staff psychological resources and staff team climate on four styles of staff interpersonal behaviour. METHOD: A total of 318 support staff members completed a questionnaire on staff interpersonal behaviour for 44 clients with ID and challenging behaviour, as well as seven questionnaires on client interpersonal behaviour, staff emotions, attributions, self-efficacy, self-reflection, coping styles and team climate. The influence of these seven factors on four staff interpersonal behaviours was examined using multilevel multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Friendly-warm and dominant client interpersonal behaviour had a significant positive impact on friendly and assertive control staff behaviour, respectively. Also, there was a strong influence of staff negative and positive emotions, as well as their self-efficacy, on most of the staff interpersonal behaviours. Staff self-reflection, insight and avoidance-focused coping style had an impact on some staff interpersonal behaviours. Staff team climate only predicted higher support-seeking staff behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: In conducting a functional analysis of staff interpersonal behaviour, the results of this study can be used both as a framework in staff-client interaction training and in clinical practice for treating challenging behaviour. The emphasis in training and practice should not only be on the bidirectional dynamics of control and affiliation between staff and clients, but also - in order of importance - on the impact of staff emotions, self-efficacy, self-reflection and insight, coping style, team climate and attributions on staff interpersonal behaviour.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2016 · doi:10.1111/jir.12249