Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Problem Behaviour of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Problem behaviours of children win, intellectual disabilities is one of the stressor factors of their parents, as reported by them and it is observed that four to five times more in intellectual disabilities as compared to intellectually normal children. Therefore it is important for parent and professional to know what are the variables involved in the manifestation of problem behaviours. The socioeconomic status of their parents was one of the important factors in the manifestation of problem behaviour. This study was undertaken to find out prevalence in the perspective of gender, parental educational level and economic status of the different problem behaviours among children with intellectual disabilities. The present study sample consisted of 45 children with intellectual disabilities, registered in National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped, General OPD Services (Andhra Pradesh). Behavioural Assessment Scales for Indian Children with Mental Retardation (BASIC-MR) Part-B questionnaire was used to identify problem behaviours. Findings suggested that parent's education affects the child's problem behaviour. Both male and female children showed hyperactive behaviour (53% and 55% respectively). In this study we found that hyperactive behaviour was more prevalent (38%) among professionally educated parents in comparison to less educated parents (22%). Violent and destructive behaviour was (30%) more observed among children of those parents involved in professional works. Temper tantrums and violent behaviour (50% and 32% respectively) were more common among those parents who belong to the high income group family. Temper tantrum behaviour was significantly different (4.36 at 0.05 levels) in respect to the seventy level of children with intellectual disability. Other behavioural domains were not found significant