Challenging behaviour and its risk factors in children and young people in a special school setting: A four wave longitudinal study

A qualitative study of the emotion regulation experiences of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities: "Because it helps my brain to calm down"

Background: Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities are prone to developing emotion dysregulation difficulties. The process model of emotion regulation may offer a comprehensive structure by which to understand this phenomenon.Method: Seventeen children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities participated in semi-structured interviews on their experience of emotion regulation. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data obtained.Results: The applicability of the process model of emotion regulation for children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities was confirmed. Additional themes and sub-themes relevant to the model were also identified. Discrepancies in emotion regulation experiences were noted between autistic and non-autistic children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities.Conclusions: The process model was found to be relevant to children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The identified themes and sub-themes could guide the development of outcome measures founded on the model for this population.

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.