# The Language of Change Among Individuals With Mild Intellectual Disability or Borderline Intellectual Functioning: Client Responses to Therapist Motivational Interviewing Skills

## TL;DR

This study explores how therapists' motivational interviewing skills influence the language of change in individuals with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning during substance use disorder treatment.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific therapist skills that effectively evoke change talk in individuals with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning.

## Key findings

- Questions and reflections of change talk are followed by increased change talk in individuals with MID-BIF.
- Individuals with MID-BIF can express change talk independently or with therapist support.
- Motivational interviewing skills significantly influence the language of change during SUD treatment.

## Abstract

The link between a therapist's motivational interviewing skills and the subsequent response of individuals with mild intellectual disabilities to borderline intellectual functioning (MID‐BIF) is unknown. This study examines this sequential relationship and describes change talk (CT) in individuals with MID‐BIF during substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.

In this study, 35 treatment sessions were sequentially coded using the Motivational Interviewing Sequential Code for Observing Process Exchanges. Observed and expected frequencies of transitions, transitional probabilities, odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated in Generalized Sequential Querier software. Furthermore, frequencies of CT in IBM SPSS statistics were calculated.

Questions and reflections of CT and two‐sided questions were followed by CT. Questions and reflections of counter change talk (CCT) and two‐sided questions were followed by CCT. Individuals expressed all kinds of CT utterances.

Questions and reflections of CT are powerful skills in evoking CT in individuals with MID‐BIF during SUD treatment.

The present study contributes to the understanding of MI and CT in individuals with MID‐BIF and SUD.Questions of CT and reflections of CT are powerful skills in evoking CT in individuals with MID‐BIF during SUD treatment.Individuals with MID‐BIF are able to express CT with their own words and sometimes need the therapist to provide words for their desire.

The present study contributes to the understanding of MI and CT in individuals with MID‐BIF and SUD.

Questions of CT and reflections of CT are powerful skills in evoking CT in individuals with MID‐BIF during SUD treatment.

Individuals with MID‐BIF are able to express CT with their own words and sometimes need the therapist to provide words for their desire.