Treating Challenging Behavior in Twins Diagnosed With Down Syndrome: Measuring Treatment Integrity and Collecting Social Validity

Research has suggested that parents are a valuable resource in the design and implementation of effective behavioral intervention programs for children with developmental disabilities (Strauss et al., 2012). We worked with a family to develop and assess function-based interventions to address challenging behavior of twin boys with Down's syndrome. Caregivers were trained to implement the interventions within their home. Following this training, treatment integrity of caregiver implementation and social validity of the interventions were assessed throughout the treatment period. We found that although social validity scores appeared to coincide with changes in the rate of challenging behavior observed, treatment integrity scores did not. Social validity scores at times remained high even though treatment integrity was low. Research evaluating the extent to which social validity impacts the integrity with which caregivers implement behavioral interventions is needed.