Inhibitory control and adaptive behaviour in children with mild intellectual disability

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>Inhibitory control, as one of the basic mechanisms of executive functions, is extremely important for adaptive behaviour. The relation between inhibitory control and adaptive behaviour is the most obvious in cases of behavioural disorders and psychopathology. Considering the lack of studies on this relation in children with disabilities, the aim of our research is to determine the relation between inhibitory control and adaptive behaviour in children with mild intellectual disability.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Method</jats:title><jats:p>The sample consists of 53 children with mild intellectual disability. Selection criteria were: <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IQ</jats:styled-content> between 50 and 70, age between 10 and 14, absence of bilingualism, and with no medical history of neurological impairment, genetic and/or emotional problems. Modified <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">D</jats:styled-content>ay–<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">N</jats:styled-content>ight version of the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>troop task, and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">G</jats:styled-content>o‐no‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">G</jats:styled-content>o <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">T</jats:styled-content>apping task were used for the assessment of inhibitory control. Data on adaptive behaviour were obtained by applying the first part of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AAMR</jats:styled-content> (American Association on Mental Retardation) <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content>daptive <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">B</jats:styled-content>ehaviour <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>cale‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>chool, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>econd <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">E</jats:styled-content>dition (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ABS</jats:styled-content>‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>:2).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Significant relationships were determined between some aspects of inhibitory control and the most of assessed domains of adaptive behaviour. Inhibitory control measures, as a unitary inhibition model, significantly predict results on <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">I</jats:styled-content>ndependent <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">F</jats:styled-content>unctioning, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">E</jats:styled-content>conomic <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content>ctivity, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>peech and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">L</jats:styled-content>anguage <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">D</jats:styled-content>evelopment, and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">N</jats:styled-content>umber and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">T</jats:styled-content>imes domains of the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ABS</jats:styled-content>‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>:2.</jats:p><jats:p>Inhibitory control, assessed by second part of the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>troop task, proved to be a significant factor in practical (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">I</jats:styled-content>ndependent <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">F</jats:styled-content>unctioning) and conceptual (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">E</jats:styled-content>conomic <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content>ctivity, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>peech and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">L</jats:styled-content>anguage <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">D</jats:styled-content>evelopment, and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">N</jats:styled-content>umbers and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">T</jats:styled-content>ime) adaptive skills. The first part of the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>troop task, as a measure of selective attention, proved to be a significant factor in language and numerical demands, along with second one. Inhibitory control through motor responses proved to be a significant factor in independent functioning, economic activities, language and self‐direction skills.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title><jats:p>We can conclude that inhibitory control represents a significant developmental factor of different adaptive behaviour domains in children with mild intellectual disability.</jats:p></jats:sec>