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Background Community service providers strive to reduce the use of restrictive behavioural procedures, but little is known about their use in community services. Therefore, this study analysed the distribution among service users and antecedents to the use of restrictive procedures. Materials The authors analysed records of the use of restrictive behavioural procedures for 81 adults with intellectual disabilities, behavioural and mental health challenges who attended a community day programme. The authors obtained data from one quarter in each of three consecutive years. The authors analysed the frequency of restrictive procedures by individual and the frequency of antecedents to the use of restrictive procedures.Results A small proportion of service users accounted for all use of restrictive procedures. This was true for all three data sets. We coded antecedents to the use of restrictive procedures reliably. The most common antecedents were transitions and seatwork. Conclusion Restrictive behavioural procedures are concentrated among a small proportion of service users and occasions. Efforts to reduce the use of restrictive procedures should first identify these service users and occasions and then focus efforts to reduce restrictive procedures there. Information concerning the antecedents of restrictive behavioural procedures may be useful as part of a descriptive assessment to design individual interventions to reduce restrictive procedures.

Individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) depend on caregivers to meet physical, emotional, and social needs. This makes relationships with caregivers particularly important to quality of life. Without intervention, social interactions may be limited and ineffective, affecting relationships with caregivers and thus quality of life for individuals with DD. Training may improve interactions between caregivers and individuals with DD. Training content and methods, however, are heterogenous. A review was conducted to identify common elements and methods and analyze variables shown to be most effective in improving outcomes for caregivers and individuals with DD. In general, studies of professional caregiver training (e.g. teachers, staff members) focused primarily on increasing positive interactions or praise, while parent training studies focused more broadly on parenting skills, of which positive interaction was one facet. Training methods differed, but there was some evidence to suggest that those studies that included some element of in situ practice and feedback yielded more robust effects. While caregiver acceptability and/or satisfaction surveys were administered in the majority of studies, fewer studies attempted to measure the satisfaction of individuals with DD. Future research topics are presented in light of these findings.

The present study is a post-hoc analysis of data automatically recorded by an online teaching platform in a graduate course in research methods. The course is part of a sequence that is delivered completely online in a program preparing students to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts. Data analyzed included frequency of access to video lectures and PowerPoint slides (PPTs) across each week of the course, and how access related to final grades in the course. The general conclusion was that higher grades were associated with greater frequency of access to video lectures and PPTs, although students who earned As and Bs tended to access these materials with gradually less frequency over time. Conversely, students who earned Cs or lower tended to access materials more frequently over time. Overall, students who earned As were more likely to employ a consistent pattern of access than students who earned lower grades. Limitations of the current project include a small sample size, skewed grade distribution, and a post hoc analysis of data instead of an experimental manipulation. Suggestions for future research are discussed.