ASSESSMENT, PREVENTION, AND INTERVENTION FOR ABUSE AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

Individuals with disabilities are at increased risk for abuse by their parents, caretakers, and the staff who are entrusted with their care as well as from the general population. Many individuals with disabilities have cognitive or communication impairments that place them at even higher risk for abuse. These limitations also make it more difficult for school psychologists and other clinicians to assess abuse history. Further, full participation in traditional prevention or treatment programs may not be feasible without modification. These challenges are the most likely explanation for why such limited research has been conducted in this critical area. The purpose of this article is to familiarize school psychologists with the research that has been conducted regarding the assessment, prevention, and intervention of abuse in the disability population when possible and to extrapolate from the general abuse literature when data regarding individuals with disabilities are not available. We suggest ways for school psychologists who are committed to promoting and maintaining the safety of people with disabilities to take action toward this end. In addition, we provide particular emphasis on individuals with intellectual and comorbid communication impairments because assessing, preventing, and treating abuse with this population is extremely challenging. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.