PhD Defence V.C. (Vanessa) Olivier-Pijpers

The purpose of this thesis was to explore the relationship between the organisational environment and challenging behaviour in disability service organisation residents with intellectual disabilities using ecological theory. The extent to which various organisational aspects influence residents’ challenging behaviour was explored, and whether organisational changes have been made in residential disability services for residents with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviours.

The use of ecological theory as sensitising framework aids detailed investigation of the organisational environment of specialised disability service organisations for residents with intellectual disabilities who display challenging behaviours. It enabled the identification of relevant aspects at all of the ecological system levels (the onto-, micro-, meso-, exo-, macro- and chronosystem levels). These ecological system aspects may enhance or limit the prevention and management of residents’ challenging behaviours, and they are directly, or indirectly via staff, linked to residents’ functioning and development. Thus, a holistic view on the prevention and management of challenging behaviours is valuable and necessary for the provision of proper support services to residents with intellectual disabilities.

Due to corona, the PhD defences do not take place publicly in the usual way in the Senate Hall of the Professor Andries Querido Room. The candidates will defend their dissertation either in a small group or online.