Find out what serves the needs of people with an IDD best
Mission
In some cases, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) face a serious threat to their quality of life because their caregivers — and sometimes the individuals themselves — struggle to cope with severe so-called challenging behaviours. This may result in exclusion from daily activities, overmedication, or even the use of restraining methods. In other situations, individuals with IDD who have previously been cared for by their families may be placed in institutional care without having undergone a proper assessment, making it difficult to identify appropriate assisted living options.
Our mission is to improve quality of life for individuals with IDD by empowering them and their caregivers to better understand and manage so-called challenging behaviours and to identify suitable assisted living options. This is achieved through an in-depth understanding of each individual’s unique needs and providing appropriate therapeutic interventions and settings. To this end, we offer a range of consultation and educational services.
Consultation Services
We offer various consultation services tailored to the complexity of your case, your specific needs, and the level of detail required in the recommendations. If you are unsure which service is right for you, please contact us by email with a detailed description of your situation. Be sure to include a phone number; we will call you back as soon as possible to help determine the most suitable service for you.
Please note that Consult-IDD does not aim to replace or interfere with any existing physician-client or psychotherapist-client relationships. Our recommendations are meant to provide a basis for discussion with the attending physician or psychotherapist. Follow-up services need to be negotiated separately.
All consultations are offered in English or German. At least
one participant must be fluent in one of these languages, or an
interpreter must be provided. Online consultations are offered
worldwide and are conducted via Zoom. On-site consultations are
available across Europe. Depending on travel distance, a
minimum duration of one or two days might apply. In such cases,
you may wish to book multiple consultations or combine a
consultation with some of our educational courses.
Available Consultation Services
CCC - Complex Case Consultations
These consultations address complex cases where so-called challenging behaviours place a significant burden on clients and caregivers and may have led to deadlock or the use of increasingly aversive measures.
To better understand these behaviours, we conduct a comprehensive assessment of cognitive abilities, emotional development, and potential autism or psychiatric disorders. This typically requires meeting the client, observing their behaviour, and reviewing their current therapeutic environment. Please provide the client's daily schedule and the expectations placed upon them.
We require full access to all preexisting psychological, pedagogical, and medical records, including a recent ECG and blood work (including therapeutic drug levels). At least one staff member who has observed the client over the past three months must be present. If possible, a close family member (preferably a parent) should also attend. It is beneficial if other professionals, such as educational therapists or teachers, can be interviewed. We aim to work closely with attending physicians and psychotherapists, so please inform them in advance and have their phone numbers available.
At the conclusion of the consultation, you will receive detailed recommendations regarding adaptations to the therapeutic setting, daily schedule, and expectations, based on the client’s needs. We will inform you if a review of the current medication with the attending physician is advisable. If appropriate, we may suggest methods such as token plans, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), or other psychotherapeutic interventions to be further discussed with your healthcare providers.
Due to their complexity, these consultations are typically
conducted on-site and generally require one full day.
BCC - Basic Case Consultations
These consultations are intended for less complex cases where behaviours remain manageable but a better understanding of the client's needs is sought. They are also suitable for individuals transitioning from family care to institutional settings without prior assessment.
We conduct a brief assessment of cognitive abilities, emotional development, and screen for potential autism and psychiatric disorders.
Access to existing psychological, pedagogical, and medical records is essential; a recent ECG and blood work (including therapeutic drug levels) should be available. At least one person familiar with the client should be available for an interview. Please notify any attending physicians or psychotherapists about the consultation and have their phone numbers available.
Based on the available information, we will provide recommendations for therapeutic settings or appropriate assisted living options. If necessary, we will recommend a medication review by the attending physician or a more in-depth diagnostics.
These consultations may be conducted on-site or online and
typically require half a day.
SOC - Second Opinion Consultations
These consultations offer a second opinion on a variety of topics. Please note that this service does not replace a thorough, comprehensive consultation. Recommendations will be more general in nature.
These consultations are usually conducted online, and their duration is variable. The minimum is one hour.
Education Services
We offer a wide range of courses on topics including Differential Diagnostics and Therapy (DDT), Psychopharmacotherapy, Autism, Dementia, Operant Conditioning, and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT-ID) for individuals with IDD. Last but not least we offer courses on Emotional Development (ED/SEO/SEED) to better understand the specific needs of people with IDD and tailoring therapeutic settings accordingly.
Our courses are practically oriented and designed to be broadly accessible. They are offered in English or German and either regular or extended formats. Regular courses are condensed and primarily lecture-based, while extended courses offer more in-depth content and may include additional workshop components, depending on the number of participants..
Courses can be booked as in-house or online seminars. Online seminars are available worldwide and are held via Zoom. In-house seminars are available across Europe. Depending on travel distance, a minimum duration of one or two days may apply. In such cases, it might be beneficial to combine multiple seminars or pair seminars with consultations.
If you're unsure which course is right for you, contact us by
email with a detailed description of your needs and a phone
number. We will get back to you as soon as possible to discuss
suitable options.
Available Courses
DDT-IDD
DDT-IDD: Differential-Diagnostics and Therapy (DDT) in people
with IDD; Learn the principles and algorithms for
distinguishing between so-called challenging behaviours and
psychiatric disorders in individuals with intellectual and
developmental disabilities (IDD), along with potential
therapeutic approaches.
Regular: 1 day; Extended: 2 days;
PPT-IDD
PPT-IDD: PsychoPharmacoTherapy (PPT) in people with IDD;
Understand when and how to use psychopharmacological treatment,
which substances are recommended, and which should be
avoided.
Regular: 0,5 day; Extended: 1 day;
AUT-IDD
AUT-IDD: AUTism in people with IDD; Autism is frequent in
individuals with IDD; Explore diagnostic methods and
therapeutic implications of autism in the context of IDD,
particularly when combined with low emotional
development.
Regular: 0,5 day; Extended: 1 day;
DEM-IDD
DEM-IDD: DEMentia in people with IDD; Dementia in individuals
with IDD often presents in a masked and atypical manner, making
it easy to overlook. Learn to identify signs of dementia in
IDD, understand pharmacological considerations, and adapt
therapeutic settings accordingly
Regular: 0,5 day; Extended: 1 day;
OPC-IDD
OPC-IDD: OPerant Conditioning in people with IDD; Operant
Conditioning is a promising method for promoting behavioural
change in individuals with intellectual and developmental
disabilities (IDD). However, it is often misapplied, leading to
ineffective outcomes. Learn how to correctly implement
behavioural change strategies using operant conditioning while
avoiding common pitfalls.
Regular: 0,5 day; Extended: 1 day;
DBT-IDD
DBT-IDD: Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) in people with
IDD; Dialectical-Behaviour Therapy has shown to be effective in
improving impulsive and aggressive behaviours. Discover how to
adapt DBT techniques to the specific needs of individuals with
IDD (DBT-ID).
Regular: 0,5 day; Extended: 1 day;
ED-IDD
ED-IDD: Emotional Development (ED) in people with IDD; The
level of emotional development is crucial for understanding the
needs and behaviours of people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities (IDD). It should therefore always be
assessed, especially when so-called challenging behaviours
occur. The regular version will introduce you to the concept of
emotional development (ED) according to Prof. Anton
Došen (SEO), also known as
SEED.
The extended version will furthermore show you how to assess
the level of emotional development in people with IDD and how
to adapt care settings accordingly.
Regular: 1 day; Extended: 2 days;
About Us
Consult-IDD was founded and is directed by Dr. Brian Fergus
Barrett, MD, psychiatrist and psychotherapist. For over 20
years he has specialized in the differential-diagnostics and
treatment of so called challenging behaviours and psychiatric
disorders in people with IDD.
He is Senior Psychiatrist at the Outpatient Clinic for Adult
Psychiatry of Liebenau Kliniken (Germany), a specialized clinic
for people with IDD. He also serves as Assistant Professor for
Psychiatric Aspects in Special Needs Education at the Catholic
University of Freiburg (Germany) and is a court appointed
expert for psychiatric issues in IDD.
After serving over 10 years on the respective executive boards,
Dr. Barrett was Co-Chair of the section for Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities of the German Association for
Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (DGPPN), as well
as President of both, the German Association for Mental Health
in Intellectual Disabilities (DGSGB) and the European
Association for Mental Health in Intellectual Disabilities
(EAMHID).
Dr. Barrett has a broad expertise in adapting psychotherapeutic
approaches such as Operant Conditioning and Dialectical
Behavior Therapy (DBT) for individuals with IDD (DBT-ID manual
at Bethel Publishing). His work focuses particularly on
Emotional Development (ED/SEO) and its role in shaping
supportive environments for people with IDD. He is a founding
member of the Network of Europeans on Emotional Development
(NEED) and co-author of the Scale of Emotional
Development-Short (SED-S/SEED) and their advanced version
SEED-2 (all at Hogrefe Publishing), as well as multiple
publications in the field.
Due to his vast experience and international network,
Consult-IDD is able to offer high-quality, personalized
consultation and education services.