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15 - Goal-directedness as a target for early intervention in Down syndrome

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2011

By
Deborah Fidler ,
Susan L. Hepburn  and
Diane Osaki
Edited by
Jean-Adolphe Rondal ,
Juan Perera  and
Donna Spiker
Deborah Fidler
Affiliation:
Colorado State University
Susan L. Hepburn
Affiliation:
University of Colorado
Diane Osaki
Affiliation:
Osaki Consulting
Jean-Adolphe Rondal
Affiliation:
Université de Liège, Belgium
Juan Perera
Affiliation:
Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca
Donna Spiker
Affiliation:
Stanford Research Institute International
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Summary

Goal-directedness as a target for early intervention in Down syndrome

In discussing the notion of temperament, Wachs (1999) proposes that it is best viewed as a fuzzy set or a hybrid class. He explains that behaviors that are considered to be at the core of the notion of temperament are also considered integral to other areas of development. Wachs (1999) identifies temperament components such as attention skills and goal-directed behavior as critical to many of the leading theories of temperament, but he also notes that attention and goal-directed behavior are discussed as foundational to conceptualizations of other domains of development, such as cognitive development and motivation orientation.

The notion of temperament as a fuzzy set may be of particular interest to research on the emergence of the Down syndrome (DS) behavioral phenotype, and is of great clinical relevance for individuals with DS as well. This is because the early development of goal-directed behavior, one of the two overlapping constructs identified by Wachs (1999), may follow an atypical course in DS (Fidler, 2006). The fact that goal-directed behavior may be foundational to several different developmental domains means that atypical development in this area may have far reaching downstream effects in many different areas of functioning.

While work to uncover the developmental pathway is still quite preliminary, there is evidence that individuals with DS may show a disruption in the development of goal-directed behavior, manifested in the form of difficulties with problem solving and instrumental thinking throughout childhood.

Type
Chapter
Information
Neurocognitive Rehabilitation of Down Syndrome
Early Years
 , pp. 191 - 204
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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