Goal‐directed action planning in infants with Down syndrome

Abstract

BackgroundDown syndrome (DS) is a neurogenetic disorder associated with risk for executive dysfunction, or difficulties with the cognitive processes required for planning volitional, goal‐directed behaviour. This study examines the developmental origins of difficulties with goal‐directed action planning in infants with DS to inform our understanding of the cognitive phenotype associated with DS and its implications for intervention.MethodFirst, the study compared the performance of infants with DS (n = 44, mean chronological age = 7.5 months, SD = 2.3) and typically developing infants (n = 31, mean chronological age = 7.5 months, SD = 2.9) on plan production and planning efficiency during an early planning task. Next, potential sources of variability in planning behaviour (motor performance and sensory processing) within the DS sample were examined. All infants completed an early planning laboratory task and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development‐III Cognitive Scale. The motor and sensory skills of infants with DS were assessed by the motor scales of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development‐III and the Infant Sensory Profile‐2. DS‐related biomedical history information was provided by caregivers for the infants with DS.ResultsBetween‐group differences in planning were observed on the dimensions of strategy production and completion, such that infants with DS were less efficient in their strategy execution than typically developing infants. In the DS group, motor skills and sensory processing were associated with planning efficiency on all components of the early planning task.ConclusionsLess efficient action planning in infants with DS may disrupt the shaping of goal‐directed behaviour, and the identification of early risk factors associated with planning efficiency has important implications for early intervention.

Early Regulatory Skills and Social Communication Development in Infants with Down Syndrome

“…The contrast between this previous report and findings from the present study may be explained by issues unique to phenotypic features associated with DS. Because infants with DS often demonstrate slower processing speed and longer latencies to produce planful actions than typically developing infants [32], it is plausible that infants with relatively stronger regulatory skills in the current study are actually performing at a similar level to the typically developing infants with relatively lower levels of regulatory function in previous studies [26]. The infants with DS in the current study who demonstrate lower levels of regulation may not have reached a cognitive status in which they can rely on social cues and are also not independent with their regulatory function.…”

“…Existing work on self-regulation in DS suggests elevated risk for under-responsivity and lower levels of initiation during early development and throughout childhood and adolescence [28][29][30]. Young children with DS often show difficulties with the early development of planful, goal-directed actions on objects [14,31,32]. Toddlers with DS produce less parsimonious strategies on tasks that require early planning with objects than other toddlers at similar developmental levels [31], and infants with DS are more likely to produce less efficient goal-directed action plans on means-ends tasks than their typically developing counterparts [32].…”

“…Young children with DS often show difficulties with the early development of planful, goal-directed actions on objects [14,31,32]. Toddlers with DS produce less parsimonious strategies on tasks that require early planning with objects than other toddlers at similar developmental levels [31], and infants with DS are more likely to produce less efficient goal-directed action plans on means-ends tasks than their typically developing counterparts [32]. In addition, concurrent correlations between the parsimony of early action planning and rate of early social communication behaviors are observed in toddlers with DS [14].…”

The Relationship between Executive Function and Challenging Behaviour in Students with Down Syndrome العلاقة بين الوظائف العقلية التنفيذية والمشكلات السلوكية لدى التلاميذ ذوي متلازمة داون في الكويت

“…Challenges in particular appear to be experienced in the domains of working memory (Godfrey & Lee, 2018;Lanfranchi, Jerman & Vianello, 2009), planning (Fidler, Hepburn, Mankin & Rogers, 2005;Schworer et al, 2020), shifting Rowe, Lavender & Turk, 2006) and inhibition (Edgin, 2003;Fontana et al, 2021;Rowe et al, 2006).…”

Profiles of Caregiver-Reported Executive Function in Children with Down Syndrome

“…When considering EF component processes, most studies report specific challenges in working memory for participants with DS [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Other studies also identify relative challenges with planning skills during early childhood in DS [ 15 , 18 , 19 ], but this group-level finding is not consistently reported throughout later childhood and adolescence [ 11 , 13 ]. Inconsistency across empirical studies is also observed when describing outcomes related to inhibitory control, with some studies identifying this EF component as a potential area of challenge for some individuals with DS, but null findings reported in other studies [ 10 , 11 , 15 , 17 ].…”