Disability Rights Arkansas (DRA) notes that the use of aversives as a behavior control technique raises serious legal and ethical issues, may diminish the dignity of the administrator and does diminish the dignity of the recipient.
Therefore, we decry those aversive practices that deprive food, inflict pain, or use chemical or physical restraints in lieu of therapeutic remediation and/or programming.
All behavior control techniques should conform to the professional standards of intervening professionals in the fields of medicine, social work, nursing, education, psychology and psychiatry.
- We promote the use of positive non-aversive techniques and training in those techniques.
- Research-based positive behavioral supports should be readily available in natural settings including the family home.
- Families, caregivers, educators, direct support personnel, and other professionals and paraprofessionals should be provided with training and support in implementing effective positive behavioral interventions and supports in all environments.
- Behavioral supports should be individually designed and positive, emphasize learning, offer choice and social integration, be culturally appropriate, and include modifying environments as needed. (AAIDD)
Approved by the DRA Board of Directors, December 2020