Behaviours of Concern and Autism

Effects

Behaviours of concern can cause all sorts of problems for autistic people, their families and carers, and society as a whole. For example,

• According to Matson et al (2011) "CBs in adults with ASD have been cited as a major impediment to independent living, characterized by adversely impacting one’s socialization, access to community-based services, employment status and residential living. Other negative outcomes from CBs include increased risk of physical or chemical restraint, as well as injury to the person or caregiver. The presence of CBs can interfere with learning, and can prevent the acquisition of adaptive behaviours and more socially acceptable behaviours. Other consequences of CBs include the burden on society. For example, additional specialized services, such as early intervention, special education, adult segregated residential placements and other services necessary to manage CBs require financial resources, as well as the resources involved with staffing these programmes."
• According to NICE (2013) "Behaviour that challenges usually has a significant impact on individuals themselves, on their parents and carers and those who work with them. This may come about through physical injury to the person or his/her carers, but also through lost opportunities for participation in home, school, work and leisure activities in the wider community or through poor interpersonal relationships. The burden on carers is considerable; behaviour that challenges usually causes high levels of stress and often restricts other opportunities for parents who may have to give up work or reduce their employment to care for their son or daughter because other options are precluded due to the severity of the behaviour. There is frequently significant impact on the wider family, particularly siblings, as they may be the victims of aggression but also because of the impact on their home environment, including decreased attention from parents, lack of opportunity for family activities and concerns about bringing friends home."

Updated

21 Sep 2022