Functions of over-active behaviours: Analyses for two people with intellectual disability using multiple approaches

Assessments were made of possible functions of over-active behaviours for two adults with intellectual disability using both ecological analyses and cluster analyses. Two ecological approaches suggested that the behaviours of both clients may be related to level of environmental stimulation. Relations between over-active behaviours and stimulation levels were assessed in an analogue study, which found a direct relation for one client and an inverse relation for the second client. Interventions were introduced in the natural environments of both clients, based on the hypothesis that over-active behaviours may be related to level of stimulation. The analyses showed that, while behaviours were motorically similar, they had different relationships with environmental variables.