A comparison of behavioral interventions reported in treatment studies and programs for adults with developmental disabilities.
Adult residential programs still lag behind research: fewer functional assessments, less task analysis, and less natural-environment teaching.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team looked at 1995 records from 11 state-run homes for adults with developmental disabilities.
They compared the real treatment plans to the tactics that research papers said work best.
They counted how often staff used task analysis, natural teaching, and functional assessments.
What they found
Real programs used far fewer proven tactics than the research showed.
Staff rarely broke skills into small steps or taught in everyday places.
They almost never ran a full functional assessment before writing a behavior plan.
How this fits with other research
Fahmie et al. (2013) surveyed every U.S. state and found the same patchwork: no shared rules for behavior support.
Barron et al. (2011) looked at English out-of-area homes and saw the same weak care, proving the gap crosses oceans.
Lulinski et al. (2021) tracked adults leaving state centers and found most returned when community teams lacked good training—another echo of the 1995 gap.
van der Miesen et al. (2024) reviewed all adult IDD services and still saw missing data, showing the problem has outlived the original warning.
Why it matters
If you consult for adult homes, run a quick gap check. Count how many plans include task analysis, natural contexts, and a real FBA. Share the count with administrators and offer one small fix per month. Small, steady upgrades beat waiting for a full overhaul.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study examined the frequency with which behavioral interventions reported in the research literature were being incorporated into residential treatment programs addressing identical skill deficits. A sample of 113 research articles involving 299 subjects and a corresponding sample of 299 adaptive skill programs implemented in state-funded facilities were reviewed. Information was collected about subject attributes, target behaviors, types of intervention, and alternative instructional techniques. Chi-square analyses revealed significant differences between researchers and clinicians in the categories of adaptive and maladaptive behavior targeted as well as the behavioral interventions reported. Disparities were also found in treatment implementation practices including the use of task analysis, instruction in the natural environment, teaching of replacement skills, and the functional analysis of behavior. These differences are discussed in light of federal regulations governing practices in state-funded facilities as well as current research trends.
Research in developmental disabilities, 1995 · doi:10.1016/0891-4222(94)00031-4