Behaviour problems in people with intellectual disabilities: validation of the French version of the Behaviour Problems Inventory - Short Form

Challenging behaviour and its correlates in preschool-aged children with an intellectual disability in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Young children with an intellectual disability have a higher risk of developing challenging behaviour (CB). Early identification of risk factors for CB allows for earlier intervention. The aim of the current study was to assess the prevalence and correlates of CB in preschool-aged children with an intellectual disability in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).

METHODS

One hundred twenty parents of preschool-aged (3-6 years old) children who had been diagnosed (DSM-5 criteria) with an intellectual disability completed an online cross-sectional survey that included demographic, CB and child adaptive skills measures. The relationship between CB and 15 potential correlates (e.g. gender and degree of disability) was examined using independent samples t-tests and chi-squared tests.

RESULTS

Most preschool-aged (3-6 years old) children with an intellectual disability exhibited CB (78.8%, 95% CI [70.3, 85.8]), with a 63.2% prevalence rate for self-injurious behaviours (95% C [53.8, 72.0]), a 57.6% rate for aggressive destructive behaviours (95% CI [48.2, 66.7]) and a 25% rate for stereotypy (95% CI [17.7, 34.0]). The likelihood of a child engaging in self-injurious and stereotyped behaviours was higher in those with autism and intellectual disability. Children with Down syndrome displayed fewer stereotyped behaviours. Low adaptive skill levels were associated with increased overall CB, self-injurious and stereotyped behaviours.

CONCLUSIONS

The identified correlates of CB in this population and cultural context align with the international evidence base. Findings have implications for the importance of early systematic screening of CB in preschool-aged children in Saudi Arabia and other similar contexts. Preventative measures are suggested for preschool-aged children with an intellectual disability who are more likely to demonstrate CB, such as those with autism and poor adaptive behaviours.

General Measurement Tools for Assessing Mental Health Problems Among Children and Adolescents with an Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review

There is a need for more knowledge of valid and standardized measures of mental health problems among children and adolescents with intellectual disability (ID). In this study, we systematically reviewed and evaluated the psychometric properties of instruments used to assess general mental health problems in this population. Following PRISMA guidelines, we reviewed empirical research published from 1980 through February 2020 with an updated search in March 2021 in Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Health and Psychological Instruments, CINAHL, ERIC, and Web of Science databases. Forty-nine empirical articles were included in this review. Overall, the review indicated consistently better documentation of the reliability and validity of instruments designed for the ID population compared to instruments developed for the general child population.

Nonpharmacological Compensation of Aggressive Behavior of Individuals with Moderate Intellectual Disability and Behavioral Disorders-A Case Study

The article discusses issues associated with the manifestations of aggressive behavior in an individual diagnosed with moderate intellectual disability and behavioral disorders (according to ICD-10; F7; F711—moderate intellectual disability, significant impairment of behavior requiring attention or treatment). In the research survey, we focused on a client corresponding with relevant features. The research was carried out at the beginning of hospitalization, ongoing hospitalization, and the end of hospitalization, followed by a recommendation to limit the legal capacity of the client and his placement in a residential care home. The case study points out individual approaches to special education and psychology and outlines the key steps in the cooperation of selected helping professions suggesting conclusions and recommendations for practice regarding these selected issues. Upon the termination of our investigation, there was a rapid deterioration of the client being admitted to the intensive care unit with a follow-up treatment in a long-term intensive care unit.

Assessment of Challenging Behavior Exhibited by People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review

The assessment of challenging behavior exhibited by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is essential for the planning of prevention and intervention programs. This review aimed to identify and analyze the standardized instruments that exclusively focus on the assessment of challenging behavior. We identified and organized 141 articles into four categories: original instrument studies, validation studies, relational studies, and intervention studies. The results identified 24 instruments that generally show high-quality psychometric properties and other utilities beyond the observation of the presence of challenging behavior and diagnostic categorization. Age, level of adaptive behavior, disability, presence of autism spectrum disorder, and medication are some of the variables that were found to be possibly related to the occurrence of challenging behavior. Additionally, the results suggest that interventions focused on supporting positive behavior or providing training on behavior to professionals and caregivers significantly reduced the occurrence of these behaviors. Instruments that help us to understand and measure the challenging behavior exhibited by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are essential for the design of effective evaluation and intervention protocols.

Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Behavior Problem Inventory-Short Form

BACKGROUND

The Behavior Problems Inventory-Short Form (BPI-S), which assesses behavior problems in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), is a shorter version of the BPI-01. This study investigated the reliability and validity of the BPI-S Japanese version (BPI-S-J) for adolescents/adults with ID and behavior problems.

METHODS

The test-retest reliability included participants with ID and behavioral problems who were enrolled in welfare services. For test-retest reliability, 42 caregivers independently responded to the BPI-S-J every two weeks. Inter-rater reliability was independently assessed using the BPI-S-J by two caregivers who were familiar with the 42 participants. The participants of the validity assessment were 227 students from special needs schools or patients with ID admitted to medical institutions. The total frequency total score was compared based on the degree of ID. To examine the criterion-related validity, we analyzed the total frequency score, the total score of the Criteria for Determining Severe Problem Behavior (CDSPB) and the total score of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Japanese version (ABC-J).

RESULTS

The BPI-S-J of test-retest reliability was satisfactory (intra-class correlation; ICC) = 0.954), and the total score significantly (ICC = 0.721) represented good inter-rater reliability. For the validity, the BPI-S-J score of participants who had severe and profound ID was significantly higher than those who had mild and moderate ID. Significant correlations were observed between the BPI-S-J score and CDSPB score (r = 0.499), and the ABC-J score (r = 0.699), indicating adequate criterion-related validity.

CONCLUSION

This study showed the utility of the BPI-S-J to assess behavior problems in the Japanese ID population.

Frequency and origin (reactive/proactive) of aggressive behavior in young people with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND

The aim was to investigate the aggressive behavior of young people in specialized institutions with intellectual disability (ID) with or without autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

METHOD

Data on 305 institutionalized young people were collected using two aggression scales, the 'Children's Scale of Hostility and Aggression: Reactive/Proactive', and the 'Behavior Problems Inventory - Short Form'.

FINDINGS

Our results show that the behavioral manifestations differ between the clinical groups (ID/ID with ASD). In addition, they reveal a decrease in all aggressive and stereotyped behaviors at 16 years in participants with ID but not in those with the dual diagnosis (ID and ASD). There would be an increase in self-injury with age in people with ID and ASD. Finally, the aggressive behaviors (verbal, relational, bullying) of people with only ID are significantly more proactive than reactive.