Practical Treatment Strategies for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

"[We] will not focus as much on what to do, but rather on how the therapists or other care providers can adapt their behavior in pursuit of accommodating the needs of clients with intellectual disabilities."--Practical Treatment Strategies for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

Practical Treatment Strategies for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities offers guidance to professionals who focus on intervening with ID/DD clients who exhibit severe and sexual behavior problems. The authors stress the importance of clear program guidelines and thorough staff training to create efficient, appropriate communication between staff members, clients, and client families.

While emphasizing the importance of preserving humanity, the authors propose methods to overcome the unique challenges of working with forensic clients. These include provision of developmentally relevant educational materials on sexuality and relationship issues, female-specific interventions, presentation of opportunities to promote client awareness and self-regulation of behavior, and an update on Haaven s Old Me/New Me Model.

Contributing authors are: James Haaven, Krishan Hansen, Steve Mussack, Sandra A. Wilson, and J. Russell York.

Gerry Blasingame is the Executive and Clinical Director of a program dedicated to the treatment of developmentally disabled offenders. He is an accomplished presenter on many forms of family violence. Since 1985, Blasingame has been treating children, teens, and adults impacted by family violence. He has presented numerous trainings on the treatment of mainstream and developmentally delayed clients.