title: Object-related generativity in children with Down syndrome.
abstract: Children with Down syndrome (DS) show challenges in some aspects of goal-directed behavior when compared to developmentally matched children (Daunhauer et al., 2014; Lee et al., 2011), particularly in the area of goal-directed action on objects (Fidler et al., 2005a,b). In this study, we examined one aspect of goal-directed action on objects, object-related generativity, in school-aged children with DS (n = 52), a developmentally matched group of children with intellectual disability, but not Down syndrome (DD; n = 21), and a group of chronologically younger, but developmentally matched typically developing children (TD; n = 34). We administered the Leiter-R, the Oral and Written Language Scales (OWLS), and an Object-Related Generativity Task, which involved 2 min of unstructured play with a variety of objects that have divergent usages. Children with DS generated significantly fewer instances of initiating actions on new objects than children in both comparison groups, were less likely to produce novel functional action on any object (new or familiar) than TD children, and they showed fewer instances of novel functional object engagement with new objects overall than TD children. Frequency of acts on new objects in DS was associated with Leiter-R Form Completion and Repeated Patterns Raw Scores and OWLS Listening Comprehension Raw Scores. These findings contribute to the growing knowledge base regarding goal-directed behavior and self-regulation in individuals with Down syndrome. Implications for education and intervention are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, 1570 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. Electronic address: Deborah.fidler@colostate.edu.
authors.forename: Deborah J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Fidler
authors.affiliation: Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, 1570 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. Electronic address: Elizabeth.will@colostate.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Will
authors.affiliation: Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, 1570 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. Electronic address: lisa.daunhauer@colostate.edu.
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Daunhauer
authors.affiliation: Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, 1570 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. Electronic address: brrgerla@rams.colostate.edu.
authors.forename: Brianne
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gerlach-McDonald
authors.affiliation: Departments of Human Genetics and Pediatrics, Emory University, 2165 N. Decatur Rd., Decatur, GA 30033, USA. Electronic address: jvisoot@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Jeannie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Visootsak
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
keywords: Down syndrome; Generativity; Goal-directed behavior