Survey of Japanese welfare facility staff and special school teachers facing difficulties at work with persons with challenging behaviors

Background Effective training programs for managing people with challenging behaviors should be established in both welfare and education settings, as it is important that the support system for challenging behaviors covers the entire life span. For consistent support, it is necessary to understand the difficulties and needs of support staff in caring for people with challenging behaviors from infancy through adulthood. The purpose of this study was to gather data from welfare facility staff and special school teachers regarding their difficulties and needs for managing challenging behav-iors, and to determine the differences between teachers and staff members. Methods We investigated Japanese special school teachers (n = 317) and the staff of welfare facilities for intellectual disabilities (n = 202) regarding their difficulties and needs. The questionnaire comprised 23 items related to the needs and difficulties in responding to challenging behaviors. Results Three factors were extracted from the analysis of the survey items: “Difficulty in coordination and information sharing with other organizations,” “Difficulty in the workplace,” and “Difficulty in support and response.” The overall trend was that welfare staff have more difficulties and needs than special school teachers. Conclusion It is necessary to emphasize not only how to respond to challenging behavior but also the importance of establishing a collaborative system within the workplace and with other organizations for staff training in light of their perceptions of working conditions.