Contextual events related to the occurrence of challenging behavior in educational settings

Abstract

Challenging behaviors (CB) displayed by people with intellectual disabilities (ID) have a negative effect on their quality of life. The operant theory principles emphasize the relationship between these behaviors and the environment where they take place. This study aimed to identify the contextual variables that are closely related to the occurrence of CB exhibited by children who attend a special school by using an indirect functional assessment instrument; the Contextual Assessment Inventory. Therefore, 17 students have participated in this study where a total of 25 behaviors have been assessed. The results suggested that the social/cultural and the nature of the task or activity categories were more strongly associated with the occurrence of CB. Finally, results are discussed in terms of implications for practitioners. Future researches might address the importance of prevention and universal educational systems.

Keywords

• conductas problemáticas
• eventos contextuales
• evaluación funcional
• discapacidad intelectual
• inventario de evaluación del contexto.