Triggering events are those situations that must exist for a behavior to occur. Contributing events are additional conditions that, when present at the time of a triggering event, increase the likelihood that the problem behavior will occur. Triggering and contributing events can be either environmental (external) or personal (internal).

Environmental events

Environmental events are circumstances external to the individual. In attempting to understand problem behaviors, many questions can be asked concerning these external conditions. Here are examples:

• Does the behavior occur when such individuals are being prevented from doing something they want to do?
• Does the behavior occur when such individuals are asked to do something they do not want to do?
• Does the behavior occur only at certain times of the day?
• Does the behavior occur only in certain environments?
• Does the behavior occur when such individuals are not provided with attention?
• Has a recent change in staff or teacher occurred?
• Is someone or something in the environment annoying such individuals?

A complete description of the external circumstances surrounding the emergence of a behavior is necessary to understand why it occurs and what function it serves.

Personal (internal) events

Many personal conditions can provide the context for problem behaviors in individuals with developmental disabilities. Along with a complete description of the external circumstances, a complete personal history of affected individuals must be completed to determine the contributing and triggering events of the problematic behavior.

Here are examples of questions to be answered about internal events:

• Do such individuals have seizures?
• Do such individuals have a concomitant psychiatric disorder?
• Are such individuals prone to certain types of illnesses or susceptible to certain pains (e.g., recurrent ear infections, gastrointestinal disorders, skin rashes)?
• Do such individuals have a major cognitive skill deficit, such as being nonverbal or having impulse control deficits?

Adapted from: Sudhalter V. Problem behaviors in individuals with developmental disabilities. In: Devinsky O and Westbrook LE, eds. Epilepsy and Developmental Disabilities. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann; 2001;165–174.
With permission from Elsevier (www.elsevier.com).
Reviewed and revised May 2004 by Steven C. Schachter, MD, epilepsy.com Editorial Board.