Caregiver-reported executive functioning and associated adaptive and challenging behaviour in children with histories of developmental delay.
High BRIEF-2 scores flag future behavior problems and slow adaptive growth in kids with developmental delay.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Parents filled out the BRIEF-2 about their kids with developmental delay.
Some kids also had intellectual disability, some did not.
The team asked: do executive-function scores predict everyday skills and problem behavior?
What they found
Caregiver-rated EF problems explained 68% of the variance in challenging behavior.
The same ratings explained 22% of the variance in adaptive skills.
EF deficits showed up in both groups, with or without ID.
How this fits with other research
McClain et al. (2022) used the toddler BRIEF-P and saw the same pattern: working memory was the weakest skill across autism and ID.
Moya et al. (2022) narrowed the lens to Down syndrome and also found working memory and inhibition drive daily-living gains, matching the 22% adaptive link.
Myers et al. (2018) got the same EF-adaptive tie in autism four years earlier, so the link is holding across diagnoses and time.
Why it matters
If you see big BRIEF-2 scores, expect tougher behavior and slower adaptive gains.
Start EF-informed plans early, even before an ID label is clear.
Target working memory and inhibition first; they keep popping up as the levers that move real-life skills.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Deficits in executive functioning (EF) have been measured in individuals with developmental disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, through the use of behaviour rating scales and performance-based assessment. Associations between EF and variables such as challenging and adaptive behaviour have been observed; however, limited research exists on EF profiles in children with heterogeneous developmental delay or with intellectual disability (ID) or the impact of EF on adaptive and challenging behaviour with this population. METHODS: The present study sought to examine the EF profile of 93 children (75 male and 18 female) previously identified with developmental delay in early childhood. EF was assessed using the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF-2). Children were categorised into an ID group (n = 14) or no ID group (n = 79) based on scores from cognitive and adaptive behaviour assessments. EF profiles were investigated and compared by group. In addition, the impact of EF on both adaptive behaviour and challenging behaviour was measured using hierarchical linear regressions. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences in caregiver-reported EF were not observed between groups; however, both the ID and the no ID group scores were elevated as reported by their caregivers. For the overall sample, caregiver-EF accounted for significant variance in both adaptive (22%) and challenging (68%) behaviour after accounting for child age and sex. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated deficits in EF for children with and without ID. The significance of EF was accounted for in both adaptive and challenging behaviour for all children in the sample. Future research could elucidate the role of adaptive and challenging behaviour in understanding EF variability among children with histories of developmental delay.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2022 · doi:10.1111/jir.12865