Behaviours that Challenge in SATB2-associated Syndrome: Correlates of Self-injury, Aggression and Property Destruction
In SAS, self-injury springs from different roots than aggression or property destruction—so assess and treat each behavior on its own.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Shelley et al. (2023) asked caregivers of people with SATB2-associated syndrome (SAS) to fill out a survey.
They wanted to know what factors go with self-injury, aggression, and property destruction in this rare genetic syndrome.
The team looked at each behavior separately to see if different things trigger each one.
What they found
The study found that self-injury has its own set of correlates, separate from aggression or property destruction.
In other words, the reasons a child hits himself are not the same reasons he hits others or breaks toys.
This means you need to assess and treat each behavior on its own.
How this fits with other research
Libero et al. (2016) studied kids with severe ID and said high repetitive behavior and impulsivity predict all three topographies together.
Shelley’s new data seem to disagree, showing each topography has unique triggers.
The gap is mostly about method: E et al. used a longitudinal design and broad risk markers, while Shelley used a one-time survey focused only on SAS.
Carter Leno et al. (2019) also used a caregiver survey and found unique cognitive correlates for each topography in teens with ASD.
Shelley’s SAS results echo that pattern, extending the idea that one-size-fits-all explanations don’t work.
Why it matters
If you work with SAS or other rare genetic syndromes, stop grouping “challenging behavior” into one box.
Run separate assessments for self-injury, aggression, and property destruction.
Check sensory, social, and medical triggers for each topography.
Then build matched interventions instead of a single plan.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
SATB2-associated syndrome (SAS) is a genetic syndrome characterised by intellectual disability, severe speech delay, and palatal and dental problems. Behaviours that challenge (BtC) are reported frequently; however, there is limited research on specific forms of BtC and the correlates of these behaviours. The current study explores correlates of well-defined BtC, self-injury, aggression, and property destruction, in SAS. Eighty-one parents/caregivers of individuals with SAS (53.1% male, Mage 10.12 years) completed questionnaire measures of health, behavioural, emotional, and autism characteristics. Individuals with SAS were grouped based on caregiver responses to the presence or absence of self-injury, aggression, and property destruction on the Challenging Behaviour Questionnaire. Rates of self-injury, aggression and property destruction were 42%, 77% and 49%, respectively. Between-group comparisons were conducted to compare characteristics between behaviour groups. Significantly differing characteristics were entered into separate hierarchical logistic regressions for each form of BtC. Behavioural comparisons indicated variation in the characteristics associated with each behaviour. All hierarchical logistic regression models were significant (p < .001): self-injury (χ2(5) = 38.46, R2 = 0.571), aggression (χ2(4) = 25.12, R2 = 0.414), property destruction (χ2(4) = 23.70, R2 = 0.346), explaining between 34.6% and 57.1% of the variance in behaviour presence. This is the first study to identify correlates of self-injury, aggression, and property destruction in SAS. Variability in the characteristics associated with each behaviour highlights the importance of specificity when examining BtC. Understanding correlates of specific forms of BtC has important implications for informing SAS-associated pathways to behavioural outcomes and the implementation of tailored behavioural interventions.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2023 · doi:10.1007/s10803-023-06123-2