Psychotropic Medication in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Patterns of Use and Recommendations for Monitoring Effects

Purpose of Review The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief review of the patterns of psychotropic medication use in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and recommendations for monitoring the effects of these medications. Recent Findings Challenging behavior (e.g., aggression, self-injury, property destruction) in individuals with IDD is often observed, and both behavioral and pharmacological interventions have been evaluated for their effectiveness in treating these behaviors. Although behavioral interventions have been shown to be effective at decreasing challenging behavior, psychotropic medications are frequently used to treat challenging behavior despite a lack of clinical indication (i.e., psychiatric diagnosis). Summary Limited evidence exists supporting the effectiveness of psychotropic medication to address challenging behavior. Given the demonstrated effectiveness of behavioral interventions, a comprehensive approach to supporting those with IDD and challenging behavior should include behavioral assessment and intervention, and continuous monitoring of and data collection on challenging behavior.