Turner S, Alborz A, Gayle V
Dental Health Services Research Unit, University of Dundee, UK.
J Intellect Disabil Res. 2008 May;52(Pt 5):380-92. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2007.01038.x. Epub 2008 Jan 14.
Earlier studies of young people with Down's syndrome have investigated a relatively limited range of variables which may influence their academic attainment. The relative strength of such influences and how they may vary during the school career, has also been under-researched.
The aim of the paper is to identify the contemporary and antecedent predictors of the level of academic attainment achieved by a representative sample of young people with Down's syndrome. Sample The paper reports data from three studies of 71 young people with Down's syndrome and their families. Mean IQ at the time of the first study (t1) was 40.4. Mean chronological age was 9 years at t1, 14 at t2, and 21 at t3, when all the young people had left school.
The outcome measure was the 58-item Academic Attainments Index (AAI), comprising three sub-scales covering reading, writing and numeracy. Predictors of the outcome were derived from questionnaires and interviews from tutors, mothers and fathers. A path analysis approach was used to investigate the pattern of predictors of the outcome over the three studies.
Factors predicting greater progress in this measure between t2 and t3 were lower chronological age and attendance at mainstream school. Progress from t1 to t2 was also associated with attendance at mainstream school, as well as with higher t1 mental age, mother's practical coping style and higher child attentiveness. Background factors predicting higher t1 AAI scores were higher mental age, attendance at mainstream school and father's internal locus of control. The path analysis model predicted 48% of the variance in t3 outcome scores. Severity of intellectual impairment was by far the most significant predictor.
Limitations to the study include evidence of attrition bias towards more able children, and the need to obtain the t3 outcome measure from tutors for some young people and parents for others. Parents may have over-estimated abilities. Results are broadly in agreement with other studies, and confirm the pattern reported earlier with this group. Mainstream school attendance had a modest beneficial effect on AAI scores throughout the school career of the children, independently of level of intellectual disability. Identification of predictors of attainment levels and of improvement over time may help parents, teachers and other professionals involved with families of children and young people with Down's syndrome optimise the attainment of such skills.
早期针对唐氏综合征青少年的研究调查了相对有限的一系列可能影响其学业成就的变量。这些影响因素的相对强度以及它们在整个学业生涯中可能如何变化，也一直未得到充分研究。
本文旨在确定唐氏综合征青少年代表性样本所取得的学业成就水平的当代及先前预测因素。样本 本文报告了对71名唐氏综合征青少年及其家庭的三项研究数据。首次研究（t1）时的平均智商为40.4。t1时的平均实足年龄为9岁，t2时为14岁，t3时为21岁，此时所有青少年均已离校。
结果测量指标是包含58个项目的学业成就指数（AAI），由涵盖阅读、写作和算术的三个子量表组成。结果的预测因素来自教师、母亲和父亲的问卷及访谈。采用路径分析方法来研究三项研究中结果的预测因素模式。
预测在t2到t3之间该指标取得更大进步的因素是较低的实足年龄和进入主流学校就读。从t1到t2的进步还与进入主流学校就读、较高的t1心理年龄、母亲的实际应对方式以及孩子较高的注意力有关。预测t1时AAI得分较高的背景因素是较高的心理年龄、进入主流学校就读以及父亲的内控点。路径分析模型预测了t3结果得分中48%的方差。智力障碍的严重程度是迄今为止最显著的预测因素。
该研究的局限性包括对能力较强儿童存在损耗偏差的证据，以及需要从教师那里获取一些青少年的t3结果测量指标，从家长那里获取另一些青少年的t3结果测量指标。家长可能高估了孩子的能力。结果与其他研究大致一致，并证实了该群体早期报告的模式。在孩子的整个学业生涯中，进入主流学校就读对AAI得分有适度的有益影响，与智力残疾程度无关。确定学业成就水平及随时间进步的预测因素，可能有助于家长、教师及其他与唐氏综合征儿童和青少年家庭相关的专业人员优化此类技能的获得。
