Assistive Technology for People with Behavior Problems

Abstract

This chapter provides a selective overview of the use of assistive technology used to support persons with diverse abilities who engage in problem behavior. By it is nature this is a very broad topic and incorporates a wide array of populations and assistive technologies strategies. The chapter begins with a description and definition of problem behavior. Next is an overview of the characteristics of the populations that have received assistive technology interventions to treat problem behavior. This overview of population characteristics will enhance the reader’s understanding of the nature of problem behavior and also provide a deeper understanding of the rationale for the use of various assistive technologies in the following section of the chapter. The next section of the chapter provides a selective overview of the assistive technologies used to manage problem behavior. Assistive technology strategies will be divided into two general categories—those that focus on (a) antecedent cue or self-control strategies (enhancing stimulus control of adaptive behavior and/or teaching persons to monitor their own behavior) and (b) consequence strategies (providing consequences contingent upon problem behavior or teaching persons to use appropriate communication to access desired consequences). The final section provides an overview of the clinical and academic implications of the use of assistive technologies to support persons with behavior problems.