ABSTRACT
There is a widespread belief, supported by research evidence, that a diagnosis of autism, especially when accompanied by severe intellectual disability, is associated with enhanced risk of ‘challenging behaviour’ (McClintock et al. 4, McTiernan et al. 4). This potent correlation raises a number of important questions:
What does the term ‘challenging behaviour’ actually mean?
Why does this negative association exist?
What are the implications of challenging behaviour?
How can it be addressed?
