Featured Resource
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) & I/DD (Brief)
On this page, you will find information on therapies and treatments effective in supporting people with I/DD, brain injuries, or other cognitive disabilities and a mental health condition. Some therapies focus on conversation with a professional like CBT or DBT, while other therapies engage the body like psychodrama, breath-work, or EMDR. Individuals and supporters can explore resources on different treatment options to find which best fit an individual’s specific needs, communication methods, and cultural preferences.
Adaptive Strategies
These 2023 briefs from the Louisiana OCDD Clinical Services Team outline modifications mental health practitioners can make to different treatment modalities to support this community.
- Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) & I/DD
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) & I/DD
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (tCBT) & I/DD
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) & I/DD
- Multisystemic Therapy (MST) & I/DD
- Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) & I/DD
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) & I/DD
Pharmacology
- Clinical Characteristics and Pharmacological Treatment of Individuals With and Without Intellectual Disability in Pre-trial Assessment-A Population-Based Study— Study that estimates the prevalence of intellectual disabilities in a pre-trial forensic psychiatric setting and the clinical characterization of individuals being subject to forensic psychiatric assessment (Edberg, Chen, Andiné, Larsson, and Hirvikoski, 2020)
- IDD Psychiatry Best Practices Pharmacologic and Non-Pharmacologic Treatment of Persons With IDD and Co-Occurring Mental Illness and/or Behavioral Challenges— Handout from a presentation that outlines best practices in the use of pharmacological intervention for people with I/DD who have a co-occurring condition (Nisonger Institute at The Ohio State University, 2020)
- Integrated Mental Health Treatment Guidelines for Prescribers in IDD— Overview of integrated health and psychopharmacological guidelines in the treatment of people with I/DD and autism spectrum disorders (Institute on Disability at University of New Hampshire, 2023)
Positive Approaches
- Revisiting the Fourfold Positive Approaches Paradigm: Environment, Communication, Assessment, and Hanging in There— Review of the advancement in knowledge and treatment over the past 20 years for individuals with I/DD (Beth Barol, 2019)
- Learning From a Person’s Biography: An Introduction to the Biographical Timeline Process— Outline of the biographical timeline process that identifies events, passages, and interventions in a person’s life (Beth Barol, 2001)
Use of Technology in Therapeutic Interventions
- Telepsychiatry in Psychotherapy Practice— Paper that discusses practical solutions to challenges clinicians might encounter when moving a psychotherapy practice to telehealth, such as privacy issues, health information security, and developing/maintaining a therapeutic bond (Cowan, Johnson, and Close, 2020)