Stepping Stones: EMDR Treatment of Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Challenging Behavior

Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, Volume 4, Number 4, 2010 © 2010 EMDR International Association DOI: 10.1891/1933-3196.4.4.156 Practitioners have been seeking more e! ective means to support clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and to replace challenging behavior with more e! ective coping strategies. Challenging behaviors in the context of this article refer to behaviors that interfere with the client’s ability to interact successfully with their physical and social environment, and to live a ful" lling life. Examples of challenging behaviors include verbal and physical aggression, self-abuse, property destruction, and inability to participate in positive social interactions. The authors of this paper recognize that many people with IDD have trauma as a signi" cant root cause of their challenging behavior, but lack an e! ective means to recover from the underlying trauma. This article presents six case studies exemplifying how eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy can be adapted to meet the needs of individuals with IDD, to help them heal from traumatic experiences and overcome their challenging behaviors. Results indicate that using adaptations to the EMDR protocol makes the treatment model more e! ective with people with IDD and challenging behavior. These " ndings have implications for practitioners from multiple disciplines seeking to support clients who have experienced trauma and who have IDD.