Short-term longitudinal study of maternal ratings of temperament in samples of children with Down syndrome and children who are developing normally.

Ratings of temperament for 32 children with Down syndrome and 44 children who were developing normally over the developmental range from 12 to 36 months were compared. Mothers completed the Toddler Temperament Scales and/or the Bates Infant/Child Characteristics Questionnaire at two time points. Analyses tested for diagnostic group differences in temperament ratings. Multivariate repeated measures analyses of variance, with diagnosis and developmental age as grouping variables, were run for both instruments. For the Toddler Temperament Scales, no between-subjects main effects of diagnosis or interactions were significant; however, a significant multivariate main effect for diagnosis was obtained for the Bates Scales. Ordering consistency for the two samples was considered separately. Cross-time correlations were generally significant; however, relations tended to be of greater magnitude in the normally developing group. Results suggest that the development of temperament, as assessed with maternal ratings, follows a common path in these two groups.