Teenagers with severe learning difficulties and behavioural problems: what to do

The rate of behavioural problems in teenagers with learning disability is 40-50%, that is, four to five times greater than their more able peers. Understanding risk factors aids the clinical assessment of those young people presenting with behavioural problems. The nature of the disorders causing behavioural problems varies from developmental disorders such as autism to early-onset psychosis. Management of behavioural problems usually involves more than one approach including environmental adaptation, psychological interventions and drug treatments. These young people tend to fall between a numbers of services, so gaining access to specialist mental health advice is difficult. Coordination of care needs to occur across the professionals and agencies involved.