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Published on: December 7, 2018
A Direct Comparison of Self-Injurious and Stereotyped Motor Behavior Between Preschool-Aged Children With and Without
John Hoch1, Lisa Spofford2, Adele Dimian2
1University of Minnesota hoch0048@umn.edu.
Insights
Preschoolers with developmental delays (DD) show more frequent and severe self-injurious behavior (SIB) and stereotyped motor behavior (STY) than their peers. Age impacts STY severity in the DD group, but gender does not influence these behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Psychology
- Pediatric Neurodevelopment
Background:
- Self-injurious behavior (SIB) and stereotyped motor behavior (STY) are observable in pediatric populations.
- Understanding the prevalence and severity of these behaviors in children with developmental delays (DD) is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the prevalence and severity of SIB and STY in preschool-aged children with and without developmental delays.
- To investigate the influence of chronological age and gender on SIB and STY in these groups.
Main Methods:
- Caregiver-completed Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised was used.
- Frequency and severity ratings of SIB and STY were compared between children with DD and typically developing (TD) peers.
Main Results:
- Children with DD exhibited significantly higher frequency and severity of SIB and STY compared to TD children.
- Older chronological age correlated with increased STY severity in the DD group, but not in the TD group.
- Gender was not found to be a significant factor for SIB or STY in either group.
Conclusions:
- Preschoolers with developmental delays demonstrate distinct patterns of repetitive behaviors, including SIB and STY.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering developmental status when assessing and addressing repetitive behaviors in young children.
- The results offer insights into the expression of repetitive behaviors within developmentally at-risk pediatric populations from psychological perspectives.
Objective:
To compare the prevalence of self-injurious behavior (SIB) and stereotyped motor behavior (STY) of preschool-aged children with developmental delays (DD group) and their peers without developmental delays (TD group) using a standardized caregiver report scale.
Methods:
The Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised was completed by caregivers of children with developmental delays and their peers without developmental delays. Frequency of occurrence and severity ratings for SIB and STY were compared between groups.
Results:
SIB and STY were reported more often and at a greater level of severity in the DD group. Older chronological age was associated with more severe STY in the DD group but not the TD group. Gender was not related to STY or SIB for either group.
Conclusions:
Differences in STY and SIB were evident between preschoolers with and without DD. Findings are discussed from developmental and behavioral psychology perspectives regarding the expression of repetitive behavior in developmentally at-risk pediatric populations.
