Abstract

Social Maturity and Problem Behaviour in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities

Author(s): Showkat Ahmad Ganaie, Beigh AM, Mir SM, Shah SA, Hussain A, Dar AH, QadriT S, Qurashi KK

Background: Children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities generally manifest problem behaviours and have impaired social maturity. The children with autism spectrum disorders have lower social skills and exhibit more challenging behaviours such as self-injury, stereotypical behaviour, impulsivity and hyperactivity as compared to children with intellectual disabilities. Duragana, Rea, & Ivana (2014) found that children with autism spectrum disorders manifested lower adaptive behaviour and exhibited more maladaptive behaviours than children with intellectual disabilities [1].

Methods: Research team assessed the social maturity and problem behaviour in a purposive sample of children (n=50) with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect research data from informants on Parental Interview Schedule (PIS), Indian Scale for Assessment of Autism (ISAA), Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS) and Behavioral Assessment Scale for Indian Children with Mental Retardation Part–B (BASIC-MR-B). The relationships were explored between social maturity and problem behaviour with respect to gender, birth weight, birth cry and parents consanguineous marriage of children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities.

Results: Pearson’s correlation co-efficient (r) was calculated and it was found that social maturity has no correlation with problem behaviour in children with autism spectrum disorders (r =0.015, p<0.01) and in children with intellectual disabilities (r =0.366, p<0.01). The results of the qualitative analysis showed that there is a significant difference between children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities with respect to their socio-demographic profiles. The results of the quantitative analysis showed that the social maturity and problem behaviour in children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities with respect to gender, birth weight, birth cry and parents consanguineous marriage were statistically insignificant. Results of this study are discussed pertaining to the assessment of social maturity and problem behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities.

Conclusions: Present study concluded that there is no association between social maturity and problem behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities, and it was also observed that there is a significant difference in children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities with respect to their sociodemographic variables.