Preliminary psychometric properties of an inhibition task in young children with Down syndrome.
Madison M Walsh, Kaylyn Van Deusen, Mark A Prince, Anna J Esbensen, Angela John Thurman, Miranda E Pinks, Lina R Patel, Robyn Tempero Feigles, Leonard Abbeduto, Lisa A Daunhauer, Deborah J Fidler
Author Information
Madison M Walsh: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. ORCID
Kaylyn Van Deusen: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Mark A Prince: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Anna J Esbensen: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA. ORCID
Angela John Thurman: MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
Miranda E Pinks: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Lina R Patel: University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
Robyn Tempero Feigles: MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
Leonard Abbeduto: MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
Lisa A Daunhauer: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Deborah J Fidler: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Executive function (EF) skills are important treatment targets for people with Down syndrome (DS); however, few EF measures have been evaluated for use with young children in this population. : The present study evaluated preliminary psychometric properties of a measure of the EF component of inhibition. Participants were 73 children with DS between 2.5 and 8.67 years old who completed an adapted ability to delay task using a desirable toy. : Across two separate trials, latencies to touch the toys were significantly correlated. Latencies increased overall with chronological and mental age, with caveats for the youngest and oldest participants. : Findings suggest that an adapted prohibition task is an appropriate method of measuring inhibition for children with DS between 4 and 7 years old, though many children in this chronological age range are at early stages of acquiring this skill set.
