The Missing Link: Delayed Emotional Development Predicts Challenging Behavior in Adults with Intellectual Disability

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 44; no. 4; pp. 786 - 800
• Main Authors: Sappok, Tanja, Budczies, Jan, Dziobek, Isabel, Bölte, Sven, Dosen, Anton, Diefenbacher, Albert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.04.2014; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Access to Education; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Adults; Analysis; Antipsychotic drugs; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Autistic Disorder - psychology; Behavior disorders; Behavior Problems; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Challenging behaviour; Child and School Psychology; Child clinical studies; Cognitive Development; Coping; Development and progression; Developmental Disabilities - psychology; Developmental disorders; Drug Use; Emotional Development; Emotional Problems; Emotional regulation; Emotional Response; Emotions; Employment; Employment Level; Environment; Environmental Influences; Female; Hospitals; Humans; Infantile autism; Intellectual deficiency; Intellectual disabilities; Intellectual Disability; Intellectual Disability - psychology; Interpersonal Relationship; Irritable Mood; Lethargy; Male; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Mental disorders; Mental health; Mental Retardation; Middle Aged; Modeling (Psychology); Neonates; Neurosciences; Original Paper; Pediatrics; Predictor Variables; Preschool Children; Psychiatric disorders; Psychiatry; Psychological Patterns; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotherapy; Public Health; Resistance (Psychology); Risk factors; Self Destructive Behavior; Self-Injurious Behavior - psychology; Severity (of Disability); Severity of Illness Index; Unemployment; Verbal Ability; Young Adult; Netherlands; Germany; Berlin Germany; Autism spectrum disorders; Adults; Intellectual disability; Challenging behavior; Emotional development; Human; Handicap; Affect affectivity; Developmental disorder; Emotion emotionality; Mental retardation; Autism spectrum disorder; Time lag; Behavioral disorder; Autism; Pervasive developmental disorder; Intellectual deficiency; Adult; Affective development; Predictive factor
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1933-5

Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) show high rates of challenging behavior (CB). The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the factors underlying CB in an adult, clinical ID sample (n = 203). Low levels of emotional development (ED), as measured by the Scheme of Appraisal of ED, predicted overall CB, specifically irritability and self-injury, high unemployment and low occupation rates, while severity of ID controlled for ED did not. Autism was the only mental disorder associated with overall CB, stereotypy, lethargy, and predicted antipsychotic drug usage. Given the persistence and clinical significance of CB, evaluation of autism and ED may suggest priority areas for diagnostics and therapy, to provide the prerequisites for participation in society and living up one’s potentials.