ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Psichiatrica 2000 June;41(2):103-10

Copyright © 2000 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Adaptive behavior in children with Down syndrome. Preliminary study

Canepa G., Barbagna S., Millepiedi S., Marcheschi M.

Background. The aim of this paper is to describe adaptive behavior in a group of 14 children with Down syndrome (RMD) compared with a control group of 14 children with mental retardation (RMnD) of different causes with the same chronological and mental age, in order to find or not some differences between them.
Methods. The method used for the adaptive behavior evaluation was the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (interview edition, expanded form). This method assesses adaptive skills in several fields: communication, including receptive, expressive and written skills; daily living skills, or behaviors relating to personal grooming, domestic chores, and functioning in the community; and socialization or behaviors involved in getting along with others, playing, leisure activities and coping with everyday demand.
Results and conclusions. Both children with RMD and RMnD show a significant strength in daily living, followed by communication and socialization. RMD have a better adaptive behavior than RMnD, none of them have an adequate adaptive level. In fact, the statistical analysis of results about age-equivalent scores and standard scores shows statistically significative differences between RMD and RMnD with always higher results in the first group. The Down syndrome group is significantly more advanced in communication skills, particularly receptive abilities, and socialization skills, particularly playing and leisure activities. Both groups show age-equivalent scores lower than mental age.