Variables Related to the Presence of Challenging Behaviors in Adults with Intellectual Disability with and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comparative, Predictive and Transdiagnostic Study

ABSTRACT

Background

Adults with intellectual disability (ID) are at high risk of exhibiting challenging behaviors, especially those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are clinical and transdiagnostic variables that are largely related to the existence of these behaviors, and it is necessary to know the particularities of their role in people with ASD and ID relative to those without ASD.

Method

Eighty adults with ID and 83 with an additional ASD diagnosis participated in the study. We analyzed answers provided by their therapists to different measures of challenging behavior.

Results

For the ASD population, emotional reactivity stood out as a predictor of self-injury, aggression and stereotypy. In the non-ASD group, the role of executive functioning and working memory were significant predictors of aggression and stereotypy was significant.

Conclusions

Interventions aimed at the reduction of challenging behaviors in adults with ID should consider these variables to adjust to the needs of these individuals, mainly from a preventive perspective.

KEYWORDS:

• Self-injury
• aggression
• stereotypy
• intellectual disability
• ASD
• adults

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was partially financed by a predoctoral contract for trainee researchers from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Banco Santander Funding Program [CT63/19-CT64/19].