Social competence of preschool children with epilepsy.
The aims of this study were to describe the social competence of 3- to 6-year-old children with epilepsy (n=26) compared with that of age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n=26). Social competence was assessed with the Vineland Social Maturity Scale, Conners' Parent Rating Scales-Revised, and the Child Behavior Checklist. The results indicate that the children with epilepsy, especially with complicated epilepsy, had fewer age-appropriate social skills and more attention and behavior problems than the healthy children, as reported by parents. It is possible that the lack of age-appropriate social skills and the presence of attention problems predispose to behavioral problems. Also, epilepsy-related factors impaired the achievement of social competence. This study shows that the preschool children with complicated, early-onset epilepsy are at increased risk of difficulties in social competence.
Rantanen
K
K
Department of Psychology, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland. kati.rantanen@uta.fi
Timonen
S
S
Hagström
K
K
Hämäläinen
P
P
Eriksson
K
K
Nieminen
P
P
D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires