This project develops evidence-based guidelines for managing challenging behaviors in individuals with special needs by studying interpersonal emotion regulation and local needs in Wallis. The goal is to create practical support programs for families and educators.
Challenging behaviors among individuals with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) creates significant difficulties for families, institutions, and, more importantly, for the individuals themselves. The lack of support and guidance offered to caregivers and educators in helping them face these challenges creates stress and overwhelm that could otherwise be avoided. It also creates opportunity costs for the individuals with SEND as they are unable to adapt to wider society in a way that allows them to integrate and flourish. Guidelines on how to address these issues would be a helpful first step to creating the support structure needed. Of particular interest is the impact of interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) on challenging behaviors, as it could prove to be a cost-effective, accessible method for improving behavioral outcomes as well as internalizing symptoms. But in order to create evidence-based guidelines on the topic, the current state of the research needs to be explored.
This project aims to fill the knowledge gap and create institutional guidelines using a two-pronged approach:
The first is to map out and synthesize the literature on how IER is conceptualized, measured, and applied in relation to the management of challenging behaviors among individuals with SEND. It will result in a scoping review that follows the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Population-Concept-Context (PCC) framework. It is therefore a non-interventional qualitative mapping and synthesis of the literature in line with PRISMA-Scr guidelines. This component of the project will be carried out by the UniDistance Suisse research team composed of Mai Elbassiouny, Seraina Bohren, and Sam Ahmed, and led by Prof. Dr. Andrea Samson.
The second is to conduct needs-assessment interviews with families, educators, associations, institutions, and affected individuals in the French-speaking part of Valais in order to identify current needs in relation to challenging behaviors in the field. This component of the project will be carried out by the Elena Rimoldi at HES-SO Valais and led by Prof. Dr. Eline De Gaspari.
The findings from these two approaches will then be used to develop institutional guidelines that will also be reviewed by families and educators of SEND individuals. This will ensure they are inclusive and grounded in day-to-day experiences of affected communities. The final result will then be offered to the Canton of Valais to help with the creation of support programs for families and educators of SEND individuals.
