Psychosocial Difficulties Profiles Among Youth with Intellectual Disabilities.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Special Education

Background:

• Internalizing and externalizing behaviors are common in youth with intellectual disabilities (ID).
• Understanding distinct behavioral profiles is crucial for targeted interventions.
• Predictors of these profiles, such as relationships, require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct profiles of internalizing and externalizing behaviors in youth with ID.
• To examine the stability of these profiles over one year.
• To investigate the predictive role of parent-child and student-teacher relationships, peer acceptance, and peer victimization on profile membership.

Main Methods:

• Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was used to identify behavioral profiles.
• Data were collected from self, parental, and teacher reports.
• 393 youth with ID (aged 11-22) from Canada and Australia participated.

Main Results:

• Five distinct behavioral profiles were identified: Adjusted, Mild School-related Difficulties, Underestimation of Mild Difficulties, High Difficulties, and Internalizing Difficulties Unobserved at School.
• These profiles and membership were stable over one year.
• Lower student-teacher warmth, peer acceptance, and higher peer victimization predicted membership in more difficult profiles, particularly those self-reported.

Conclusions:

• Behavioral profiles in youth with ID are diverse and relatively stable.
• The school environment, specifically peer relationships and student-teacher warmth, significantly influences psychosocial difficulties.
• Interventions should prioritize enhancing peer acceptance and student-teacher relationships to mitigate behavioral challenges.