The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
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Providing information, education, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

The History and Evolution of Behavioral Approaches and Positive Behavioral Interventions

Derrick Dufresne

Derrick Dufresne is the founder and a Senior Partner of Community Resource Associates, Inc. (CRA), a training and management consulting firm that is dedicated to promoting full community inclusion for individuals with disabilities. Since 1974, Derrick has been involved in both managing a statewide community residential program, and closing and converting 20 group homes to supported living arrangements. He is dedicated to implementing best practices in transforming service delivery systems, and committed to teaching the concepts and principles of person centered planning in a Medicaid environment. He possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience in financing and subsidies, and has utilized creative approaches to establishing affordable integrated housing for individuals with disabilities throughout the United States.

Derrick Dufresne
Derrick Dufresne

The video interview was conducted February 1, 2012.

The Early History of Behavioral Approaches
Early Work History in Northern Virginia
Use of Food and Tokens as Reinforcers
Staff Can Be Negative Reinforcers
Change the Environment to Change Behaviors
The Escalation of Negatives
Positive Approaches
Trust and Relationships
Look for Underlying Pain That May Cause Behavioral Issues
Look for Other Issues Behind Behavior
Lord of the Flies and Its Application to Behavioral Issues
The Use of Shock
Listening
Segregation by Label
Roommate Matching
Positive Behavior Supports
Advice to Parents and Self Advocates

Paper: From Behavior Management to Positive Behavioral Supports by Bruce Kappel, with Derrick Dufresne and Mike Mayer

Article: The use of restraints and seclusion, concerns about the consequences, and legal and ethical questions about restraint and seclusion have dominated discussions and controversies in the human services field since the late 1700s. The article, Human Services Restraint: Its Past and Future, authored by David Ferleger, traces this history and discusses how the past has influenced contemporary practices.

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The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center, the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 2401MNSCDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

This website is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,152,808.00 funded by ACL/HHS and $222,000.00 funded by non-federal-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.