Physical Restraint in Crisis Management and Behavior Support

This chapter reviews physical restraint (PR) in crisis management and behavior support among persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Most research has concentrated on (a) the effects of PR combined with other procedures in reducing and eliminating serious challenging behavior such as self-injury, aggression, and environmental destruction, and (b) evaluating methods to decease (fade) PR within clinical settings. The chapter considers risks, negative outcomes, and contraindications associated with PR, treatment effectiveness, and organizational strategies for ensuring safety with service-recipients and care providers. We describe a systems-level approach to monitoring and evaluating PR utilization at our human services organization, and present a case study that illustrates successful intervention.