TY - JOUR
T1 - Barriers to Accessing Effective Treatments for Destructive Behavior
AU - Greer, Brian D.
N1 - Funding Information: The author disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Grant Numbers 2R01HD079113, 5R01HD093734). Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2022.
PY - 2023/3
Y1 - 2023/3
N2 - The field of applied behavior analysis has developed and refined a comprehensive methodology for the assessment and successful treatment of destructive behavior. This individualized approach emphasizes (a) function of responding (or its cause) over its form; (b) objective and reliable measurement of behavior; (c) systematic procedures and their application; (d) rigorous, single-case experimental designs; and (e) determinations of successful intervention judged by improvements in the same individual's performance. Outcomes of this approach are often dramatic and reliably surpass those obtained by alternative means. However, significant barriers limit the accessibility of this proven therapy. Too few intensive behavioral intervention units, diagnosis- and age-dependent insurance authorization and reimbursement practices, long waitlists and slow approval processes, and the possibility of treatment relapse represent a few such barriers. This article describes these barriers and suggests some potential solutions.
AB - The field of applied behavior analysis has developed and refined a comprehensive methodology for the assessment and successful treatment of destructive behavior. This individualized approach emphasizes (a) function of responding (or its cause) over its form; (b) objective and reliable measurement of behavior; (c) systematic procedures and their application; (d) rigorous, single-case experimental designs; and (e) determinations of successful intervention judged by improvements in the same individual's performance. Outcomes of this approach are often dramatic and reliably surpass those obtained by alternative means. However, significant barriers limit the accessibility of this proven therapy. Too few intensive behavioral intervention units, diagnosis- and age-dependent insurance authorization and reimbursement practices, long waitlists and slow approval processes, and the possibility of treatment relapse represent a few such barriers. This article describes these barriers and suggests some potential solutions.
KW - applied behavior analysis
KW - destructive behavior
KW - function-based treatment
KW - intensive behavioral intervention units
KW - reducing barriers to care
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U2 - https://doi.org/10.1177/23727322221144653
DO - https://doi.org/10.1177/23727322221144653
M3 - Article
SN - 2372-7322
VL - 10
SP - 68
EP - 74
JO - Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences
JF - Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences
IS - 1
ER -