Safety is extremely important for everyone involved during challenging behaviours. That learning in and of itself can make someone feel overwhelmed can contribute to greater risk taking and self harm behaviours or aggression towards others.
Our inability to control all of the elements involved requires Occupational Therapists to use strategies that are part of our profession to both support safety and allow exploration within the expression of personal goals at the same time. Where something is unsafe or may result in unsafe behaviours complex risk assessments are undertaken in advance, during and post the interaction to look at how support needs to be modified on an ongoing basis. Involving all of the professionals and family in these types of conversations is helpful but needs to be assessed risk wise based on burden of care and skill level for managing these types of extreme challenges.