The diagnoses Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASS) and mental retardation are common in the present study. The study examined on which domains of psychosocial behavior children in the age 4 to 18 years...Show moreThe diagnoses Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASS) and mental retardation are common in the present study. The study examined on which domains of psychosocial behavior children in the age 4 to 18 years old with an ASS and/or a mental retardation show deficiencies in comparison with normally developing children. The study contains a cross-sectional research design. The parents were asked to fill in the Questionnaire Psychosocial Skills (VPV) on the Internet about their child. The sample consisted of 417 Dutch school children, including 235 boys (56.4%) and 182 girls (43.6%). The results of the study showed that children with an ASS and/or a mental retardation compared to the children without a developmental disorder show a distinct disadvantage in terms of the relational and affective skills, self-management and self-consciousness. The trial also found that children with a mental retardation show more psychosocial skills compared to children with an ASS and children with an ASS and a mental retardation. The research also show that children in the age group of 12 to 18 years do have more psychosocial skills than children in the age group of 4 to 11 years. Girls in the age group of 4 to 11 years do have more relational en affective skills than boys. Boys do have better psychosocial skills in the age group of 12 to 18 years than the girls. The results of the present study show the importance of detecting deficits in the development of psychosocial skills of children with an ASS and/or a mental retardation, so that the children can receive an appropriate assistance.Show less
