Reinforcing positive behaviors in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Basic and Clinical Studies in Reinforcing Positive Behaviors in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
This project develops ways to help young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities learn and keep safer, positive behaviors so self-injury and aggression happen less.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Logan, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11304583 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers build on lab and clinic work showing how past rewards influence whether a child returns to problem behaviors when rewards change or stop. They combine lessons from animal experiments and clinical sessions to test training methods such as contingency discrimination and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, along with caregiver coaching. The team is focused on preventing relapse (called resurgence) that happens when caregivers cannot consistently deliver reinforcement. Participation likely involves behavior sessions in clinic, caregiver training, and ongoing behavior monitoring.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are children about 0–11 years old with intellectual and developmental disabilities who show severe problem behaviors (for example, self-injury or aggression) and whose caregivers can attend clinic visits and training.
Not a fit: Children without IDD or without significant problem behaviors, adults, or families unable to attend the study site are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce dangerous self-injury and aggression by teaching more durable behavior-change strategies families can use.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal and clinical work shows differential-reinforcement approaches can reduce problem behavior, but relapse after treatment is common, so this project builds on promising but incomplete evidence.
Where this research is happening
Logan, United States
- Utah State University — Logan, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shahan, Timothy a — Utah State University
- Study coordinator: Shahan, Timothy a
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.