An Analysis of Behavioural Interventions for Transition Difficulties of Children and Youth with Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

Successfully transitioning from one activity, task, or location to another is an important adaptive skill. For children and youth with developmental disabilities, these transitions can be especially problematic. The purpose of the current study was to systematically examine behavioural studies aimed at improving activity, task, and location transitions for children and youth with developmental disabilities. Four electronic databases (Education Source, Eric, PubMed, and PsycINFO) were searched resulting in 1,439 studies for initial data analyses. Of these studies, 19 met full inclusion criteria and were subjected to additional analyses. Key characteristics of the final sample were described. Existing behavioural treatments incorporated intervention strategies such as visuals, prompting using assisted technology, and video modelling across various settings. Rigour assessments of the final 19 studies resulted in a majority of “weak” quality studies (n =15). Overall, it appears that behavioural interventions may be effective in treating transition difficulties among this population; however, additional research is required.