Language and Aggression in Preschool Children. Gender Differences

The present study has two objectives. Firstly to analyze the gender differences in language development in preschool children and secondly to analyze the relationships between language development on the one hand and aggression, prosocial behavior on the other hand. The study involved 155 preschool children aged between 36 and 71 months (M = 52.61, SD = 10.40) enrolled in a kindergarten in Bucharest. The instruments used were the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, ABAS-II (Harrison et al., 2012) and Preschool Social Behavior Scale - Teacher Form (Crick, 1996). To determine the gender differences, a series of independent samples t tests and Mann-Whitney U nonparametric test were performed and for the relationships among variables, regression and moderation analyzes were performed. The results showed that girls have higher levels of language development than boys, in all measured dimensions. At the same time, the level of language development was negatively associated with physical and relational aggression and positively with prosocial behavior. Contrary to our expectations, gender has not moderated the relationship between language development and aggression or prosocial behavior. The practical implications of the study address the need to capture and treat early delays in language development in order to prevent aggressive behaviors among preschoolers.

Sleep, Behavior, and Adaptive Function in KAT6A Syndrome

KAT6A syndrome is a Mendelian Disorder of the Epigenetic Machinery characterized by intellectual disability and profound expressive language impairment. This study aimed to further characterize behavior and sleep in this syndrome. 26 participants between the ages of 3 and 35 years with KAT6A syndrome were assessed via parental informant using the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System version 3 (ABAS-3), Achenbach Child or Adult Behavior Checklist (CBCL/ABCL), and a Modified Simonds and Parraga Sleep Questionnaire (MSPSQ). The ABAS reports conceptual, social, and practical domains of adaptive function as well as a general composite score for adaptive function. The CBCL/ABCL is an inventory that measures internalizing, externalizing, and DSM-oriented problem domains. The MSPSQ is a mix of qualitative and quantitative sleep information that includes behavioral and medical sleep problems. Mean values for all domains of the ABAS-3 were in the extremely low range. Additionally, sleep was very dysfunctional in this cohort. Sixty percent of respondents reported feeling there was a sleep problem, 64% take medication for sleep, and 68% have sought treatment or advice for sleep. Only 12% of these participants have sleep apnea suggesting that sleep problems in this disorder are unrelated to sleep-disordered breathing. Interestingly, there were extremely low rates of all types of behaviors reported among participants on the CBCL/ABCL. No significant differences were seen based on genotype grouping in adaptive function, sleep, or behavior. This study further delineates the phenotype of the KAT6A syndrome and emphasizes the need for supports for adaptive functioning as well as detailed attention to the behavioral aspects of sleep in this condition.

Influence of Ideational Praxis on the Development of Play and Adaptive Behavior of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comparative Analysis

Background: Traditionally, assessment of praxis skills in children with ASD has focused on the evaluation of aspects related to the planning and execution of actions. This study aimed to evaluate the ideational abilities of children with ASD and analyze possible relationships with the development of play and adaptive behaviors. Methods: 40 children between 4 to 6 years (TD = 20; ASD = 20) were evaluated with the Test of Ideational Praxis, the Revised Knox Preschool Play Scale, and the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System II. Results: Statistically significant relationships were obtained between ideational praxis and play skills development (r = 0.649; p = 0.01), adaptive leisure behavior (r = 0.338; p = 0.04) and social adaptive behavior (r = 0.319; p = 0.04). Results of multiple linear regression models found a linear relationship between ideational praxis and play development (p = 0.005) and adaptive leisure skills (p = 0.004), but not with social interaction skills (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Objective evaluation with a specific ideational praxis assessment facilitates understanding of the ideational abilities and widens understanding of praxis skills and their impact on play and adaptive behaviors in children with ASD.

ABAS-3 – an instrument for assessing adaptive skills in people with an intellectual disability

In its initial part, the article presents an analysis of the definition of intellectual disability and follows its development over the past half century. In order to diagnose an intellectual disability, it is important not only to demonstrate an overall level of intelligence that is at least two standard deviations below the median score, but also to take into account the concurrent criterion of developmental age. Moreover, as discussed in this article, defining an intellectual disability also requires addressing limitations in adaptive behaviour, i.e. cognitive, social and practical functioning skills. These diagnostic criteria are met by the “Adaptive Behavior Assessment System” (ABAS), published originally in 2000 by Harrison and Oakland. Its third edition came out in 2015. ABAS-based evaluations find a wide variety of uses, including assessing adaptive behaviour of people with intellectual disabilities, diagnosing and classifying disabilities and disorders, documenting and monitoring progress over time, and determining entitlement to disability benefits. The instrument has many strengths, but it also exhibits limitations. For example, comprehensive examination is only possible if the localised adaptations of ABAS are suited for people in the age bracket of 0-89 years. The effective use of this instrument is also dependent on its compatibility with the formal disability assessment system and with the strategies for working with students who have intellectual disabilities. The level of this compatibility should be no less than the American variant. Only then will ABAS-3 be fully adaptable to the purpose for which the assessment is developed, and the results obtained will be useful and properly applied.

Speech Impairments Explain Unique Variance in Adaptive Behavior Skills in Young People With Down Syndrome

Background Down syndrome (DS) is a disorder characterized by impairments in global cognitive abilities and adaptive function. In addition, individuals with DS demonstrate pronounced speech and language deficits. However, little is known about the linguistic correlates of impaired adaptive functioning in DS. Method Using the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System–Second Edition and the Children's Communication Checklist–Second Edition (CCC-2), this study investigated the unique variance in adaptive skills accounted for by speech and language impairments in individuals with DS ( N = 29, M age = 13.46). Results Pearson correlations revealed that a composite of CCC-2 structural language scales, but not pragmatic language scales, was significantly correlated with the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System–Second Edition Global Adaptive Composite, Conceptual, and Practical domains. Further investigation utilizing hierarchical regression analyses identified only the Speech scale on the CCC-2 as contributing unique variance to the prediction of adaptive behavior scores in the Global Adaptive Composite, Conceptual, and Practical domains. Conclusion Speech impairments may serve as flags to identify children with DS who are at risk for adaptive behavior deficits and reinforce the need for speech-language therapies that focus on speech for these individuals. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13231985

Impact of parents’ technology use on 18- to 24-month-old infants’ adaptive behaviors

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between adaptive behaviors of 18- to 24-month-old infants and their parents’ use of technology. For this purpose, a survey research method was used. The sample consisted of 116 people who are 58 volunteering married couples with 18- to 24-month-old infants and were registered in family health centers in Turkey’s Eastern Anatolia Region. Comparison analyses were conducted between parents’ demographic variables (i.e., education background) and their use of technology (i.e., Internet, smartphone) and adaptive behaviors of their 18- to 24-month-old infants. Adaptive behaviors of infants were measured with ABAS-3 (Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition) and the profiles of parents using technology were measured with a survey developed by the researchers. The results showed that parents’ use of technology had an impact on adaptive behaviors of 18- to 24-month-old infants. Infants of mothers who did not engage in any Internet activity have higher adaptive behavior scores. The infants of mothers who engaged in activities such as games, videos, and music on the Internet together with their 18- to 24-month-old infants had low scores on adaptive behaviors in terms of concept, self-management, leisure, and communication. According to the findings, various suggestions are presented for parents, researchers, and practitioners.