A review of treatment research for aggressive and disruptive behavior in the mentally retarded

Abstract

This study reviews current treatment research on aggression of mentally retarded persons. Twenty-seven studies meet methodological criteria from an initial pool of 47. All the studies reviewed were empirical and had been published in national and internationally recognized journals. Treatments were behavioral and level of mental retardation and ages of the persons studied varied widely. Age and level of mental retardation proved to be significant factors in predicting treatment outcome. Also, it was found that some types of behaviors were treated more frequently than others, with inappropriate verbal responses being the most common, followed by aggression toward others and noncompliance. The implications of these findings are discussed.