The use of factor analysis for ascertaining patterns of psychopathology in children with intellectual disability.

The team fed parent answers on the Developmental Behaviour Checklist into a factor analysis. They wanted to see if the checklist grouped into clear mental-health patterns in kids with intellectual disability.

A second sample of children was tested to check if the same six patterns showed up again.

Six clean factors appeared: disruptive, self-absorbed, anxiety, autistic, antisocial, and depressed mood. These six buckets caught over 80 % of the clinical cases.

The second sample gave the same six factors, so the pattern looks solid.

Andrews et al. (2024) did the same math on the new Social Communication Disorder Screener. Both studies use factor analysis to turn long parent checklists into short, reliable sub-scales.

Wagner et al. (2011) and Schulz et al. (2011) used factor analysis on the Movement ABC-2. They also found three stable motor factors, but their tool measures movement, not mood.

Frazier et al. (2023) built the free OS-CBS for challenging behaviour in kids with developmental delay. Their work adds a no-cost option, while the DBC gives finer psychiatric detail.

You now have a six-factor map that sorts most psychiatric ‘cases’ in kids with ID. When a parent hands you a DBC, you can quickly see if the score load is in anxiety, autism, or conduct territory. That lets you pick the right follow-up tool and skip fishing trips. If you run a clinic, keep a one-page sheet with the six factor labels and top items—your team can triage faster on Monday morning.