A systematic review and evaluation of response redirection as a treatment for challenging behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities

Sinéad Lydon, Olive Healy, Mark O’Reilly, Anna McCoy

Response redirection is widely used in clinical practice as a treatment for repetitive behavior or stereotypy in persons with developmental disabilities. However, to date the procedure has received comparatively little empirical evaluation. The current review sought to examine the literature describing the efficacy of response redirection alone, response interruption and redirection (RIRD), and multi-element treatment packages incorporating response redirection, as interventions for challenging behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities. Additionally, the status of response redirection, and RIRD, as evidence-based practice was evaluated in accordance with Reichow's (2011) recently developed criteria. Results indicated that interventions involving response redirection or RIRD typically led to large decreases in challenging behavior but did not result in behavioral suppression. On the basis of the current literature and in accordance with Reichow's criteria, interventions incorporating response redirection do not yet constitute evidence-based practice. The implications of these findings, for both research and practice, are discussed.