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The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of studies that focused on variables likely to affect staff ability to carry out behavioural strategies for challenging behaviours in individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Literature review: studies that were published in a peer reviewed journal, between 1999 and 2016, were selected for this review.

In total, 29 articles were selected. Several factors likely affect staff ability to appropriately carry out behavioural interventions were identified: staff assumptions, distressing emotions elicited by challenging behaviours, reciprocal reinforcement systems, service characteristics and cultural systems.

These findings raise the question what staff need in order to be able to change their naturally occurring behaviours in response to challenging behaviours and to carry out behavioural interventions. Future research may identify barriers and facilitators underlying the provision of effective interventions, taking into account the possible role of staff beliefs, their emotions, service characteristics and cultural systems.