Despite these limitations, we conclude that
SFBT has several strengths and advantages that
makes it a useful additional approach for use with
people with ID. First, SFBT focuses on skills
rather than on deficits, and it recognises the expert
status of people with MID. This is in line with the
present view of ID that focuses on elements such
as the importance of empowerment. Second, our
findings support Stoddart et al.’s (2001) discussion
of the strengths of using SFBT in people with ID:
‘SFBT is a highly structured, active and directive
approach. It focuses on concrete and immediate
issues. The approach partialises problems by
setting limited and clearly defined goals, and it
fosters an early and positive relationship between
clients and therapists’ (p. 36). As stated in the
introduction, people with ID are reported to experience
behaviour problems and/or psychiatric disorders
twice as often as the general population
(Cooper et al. 2007). SFBT can support them in
overcoming or at least reducing such problems in
a structured and focused manner, emphasising the
individual’s unique contribution. In this study, we
focused on clients with clinically significant problems.
However, SFBT can also be used for less
severe problems, such as housekeeping issues (see
Roeden et al. 2009 for the use of SFBT with a
less severe problem). Third, SFBT encourages the
involvement of staff in the therapeutic process.