Socio-economic and Demographic Factors Associated with Adaptive Behavioural Functions of Children Diagnosed with Intellectual Disability in Ethiopia

Abstract

The socio-economic and demographic factors can influence on the planning and implementation of intervention service for children with intellectual disability. The present study aims to assess the socio-economic and demographic factors associated with adaptive functions of children diagnosed with Intellectual Disability in Ethiopia. 160 children with intellectual disability were included in this cross-sectional study. Vinland Adaptive Behavioural Scale II was administered to assess adaptive behaviour of children diagnosed with intellectual disability. The current study's participants performed poorly in all adaptive behaviour domains and sub-domains. In comparison to younger children, older youngsters scored lower on adaptive behaviour. This indicated that domains of adaptive behavioural functions were linked with age negatively: age and communication (-0.28), age and daily living (-0.22), age and socialization (-0.23); and adaptive composite score and age (-0.3). There was no significant correlation between all domains and subdomain of adaptive behaviour and educational status and gender. In contrast, there was a significant relationship between parents' or caregivers' marital status and all domains and subdomains of adaptive behavioural functions in children with intellectual disability. Those children who were living with married couples perform better than those who were living with single mother, divorced and widowed.Generally, in underdeveloped nations like Ethiopia, description of socio-economic and demographic correlates of intellectual disabilities in children diagnosed with intellectual disability is crucial for designing a meaningful and useful policy and strategy for early identification and intervention of children with intellectual disability.