Behavioural flexibility in individuals with Angelman syndrome, Down syndrome, non-specific intellectual disability and Autism spectrum disorder

• Published in: Journal of intellectual disability research 2008-06, Vol.52 (6), p.503-509
• Main Authors: Didden, R., Sigafoos, J., Green, V. A., Korzilius, H., Mouws, C., Lancioni, G. E., O'Reilly, M. F., Curfs, L. M. G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Angelman syndrome; Angelman Syndrome - diagnosis; Angelman Syndrome - psychology; Autism; Autism spectrum disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Autistic Disorder - diagnosis; Autistic Disorder - psychology; Autistic spectrum disorders; Behavior; Behavioural flexibility; Behavioural phenotype; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child, Preschool; Chromosome aberrations; Comparative Analysis; Complex syndromes; Down Syndrome; Down Syndrome - diagnosis; Down Syndrome - psychology; Down's syndrome; Female; Flexibility; Genetic Disorders; Humans; Infant; Intellectual deficiency; Intellectual disabilities; Intellectual Disability; Intellectual Disability - diagnosis; Intellectual Disability - psychology; Learning disabilities; Learning disabled people; Male; Malformations of the nervous system; Medical genetics; Medical sciences; Mental Retardation; Neurology; Personality Assessment - statistics & numerical data; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Rating Scales; Social Behavior; Social Environment
• ISSN: 0964-2633; 1365-2788
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2008.01055.x

Background  Little is known about behavioural flexibility in children and adults with Angelman syndrome and whether people with this syndrome have more or less problems in being behaviourally flexible as compared with other people. Method  Behavioural flexibility scores were assessed in 129 individuals with Angelman syndrome using 11 items from the Behavioural Flexibility Rating Scale‐Revised (Green et al. 2007). Level of behavioural flexibility scores in individuals with Angelman syndrome (N = 129) was compared with that of people with non‐specific intellectual disability (ID) (N = 90), Down syndrome (N = 398) and Autism spectrum disorder (N = 235). Results  Comparative analyses show that individuals with Angelman syndrome were more flexible than those with non‐specific ID (P