The Diagnostic and Treatment Formulation
for Psychotropic Drug Therapy
Robert Sovner, M.D. & Anne DesNoyers Hurley, Ph.D.

Psychiatric treatment of patients with developmental disabilities presents challenges to the clinician due to limited verbal and communication skills. In addition, the frequent presentation of behavioral problems in association with psychiatric illness often results in the behavior becoming the focus of treatment, rather than a key element of a diagnostic formulation. This article presents a method of using standard psychiatric diagnostic methods when treating patients with developmental disabilities that focuses on appropriate prescribing of psychotropic medications.