Abstract
The present study assessed social and emotional adjustment in young children with spina bifida. Role-play tests, and parents' and teachers' ratings of social competence and problem behaviors were utilized in this evaluation. Results indicated that children with spina bifida did not differ significantly from controls on verbal and nonverbal components of conversational skill and negative assertion. Also, spina bifida and control children were not differentiated on the basis of mothers' and teachers' reports. Further,while mothers and fathers were in agreement about their child's level of behavioral functioning, little correspondence was evident between ratings of parents and teachers. The present findings are consistent with more recent empirical investigations demonstrating that spina bifida children do not evince major deficits in adjustment as suggested in initial studies that relied on clinical interviews and self-report.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Achenback, T. M., and Edelbrock, C. S. (1983).Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist and Revised Child Behavior Profile. Burlington, VT: University Associates in Psychiatry.
Ammerman, R. T., Van Hasselt, V. B., Hersen, M., and Moore, L. E. (1989). Assessment of social skills in visually impaired adolescents and their parents.Behavioral Assessment, 11, 327–351.
Anderson, E. M., Clarke, L., and Spain, B. (1982).Disability in Adolescence. London: Methoer.
Bellack, A. S. (1979). A critical appraisal of strategies for assessing social skill.Behavioral Assessment, 1, 157–176.
Bornstein, M. R., Bellack, A. S., and Hersen, M. (1977). Social skills training for unassertive children: A multiple baseline analysis.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 101, 183–195.
Cowen, E. L., Pederson, A., Babigian, H., Izzo, L. D., andTrost, M. S. (1973). Long-term follow-up of early detected vulnerable children.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 41, 438–446.
Dion, K. K. (1972). Physical attractiveness and evaluation of children's transgressions.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24, 207–213.
Dorner, S. (1975). The relationship of physical handicap to stress in families with an adolescent with spina bifida.Development Medicine and Child Neurology, 17, 765–776.
Dorner, S. (1976). Adolescents with spina bifida: How they see their situation.Archives of Disease in Childhood, 51, 439–444.
Eisler, R. M., Hersen, M., Miller, P. M., and Blanchard, E. B. (1975). Situational determinants of assertive behaviors.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 43, 330–340.
Eisler, R. M., Miller, P. M., and hersen, M. (1973). Components of assertive behavior.Journal of Clinical Psychology, 29, 295–299.
Gottman, J. M., Gonso, J., and Rasmussen, B. (1975). Social interaction, social competence, and friendship in children.Child Development, 46, 709–718.
Hayden, P. W., Davenport, S. L. H., and Campbell, M. M. (1979). Adolescents with myelodysplasia: Impact of physical disability on emotional maturation.Pediatrics, 64, 53–59.
Hersen, M., and Van Hasselt, V. B.(Eds.) (1991).Psychological aspects of developmental and physical and developmental disability: A casebook. Beverly Hills: Sage.
Kazak, A. E., and Clark, M. W. (1986). Stress in families of children with myelomeningocele.Development Medicine and Child Neurology, 28, 220–228.
Kazdin, A. E., Esveldt-Dawson, K., Unis, A. S., and Rancurello, M. D. (1983). Child and parent evaluations of depression and aggression in psychiatric inpatient children.Child Development, 45, 305–310.
Laurence, K. M., and Tew, B. B. (1971). Natural history of spina bifida cystica and cranium bifidum cysticum: Major central nervous system malformations in South Wales, Part IV.Archives of Disease in Childhood, 46, 127–138.
McAndrew, I. (1979). Adolescents and young people with spina bifida.Development Medicine and Child Neurology, 21, 619–629.
McLone, D. G. (1980).An introduction to spina bifida. Chicago, IL: Children's MM Service.
Reardon, R. C., Hersen, M., and Bellack, A. S. (1979). Measuring social skills in grade school boys.Journal of Behavioral Assessment, 1, 87–105.
Roff, M. (1961). Childhood social interactions and young adult bad conduct.Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 333–337.
Routh, D. K. (1988).Handbook of pediatric psychology. New York: Guilford.
Seligman, J., and McCormick, J. (1982, November 15). Saving spina bifida babies.Newsweek, p. 110.
Spaulding, B. R., and Morgan, S. B. (1986). Spina bifida children and their parents: A population prone to family dysfunction?Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 11, 359–374.
Spence, S. H. (1981). Validation of social skill of adolescent males in an interview conversation with a previously unknown adult.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 14, 159–168.
Strain, P. S. (1990).Social development of exceptional children. Rockville, MD: Aspen Publications.
Tew, B., and Lawrence, K. M. (1979). The clinical and psychological characteristics of children with the “cocktail party” syndrome.Zeitschrift Fur Kinderchirurgie, 28, 360–367.
Van Hasselt, V. B., Hersen, M., and Kazdin, A. E. (1985). Assessment of social skills in visually handicapped adolescents.Behavior Research and Therapy, 23, 53–63.
Varni, J. W., and Wallander, J. L. (1988). Pediatric chronic disabilities: Hemophila and spina bifida as examples. In: D. K. Routh (Ed.),Handbook of pediatric psychology, New York: Guilford.
Wallander, J. L., Feldman, W. S., and Varni, J. W. (1988).Physical status and psychosocial adjustment in children with spina bifida. Unpublished manuscript.
Wallander, J. L., and Hubert, N. C. (1987). Peer social dysfunction in children with developmental disabilities: Empirical basis and a conceptual model.Clinical Psychology Review, 7, 205–221.
Wallander, J. L., Varni, J. W., Babani, L. Banis, H. T., and Wilcox, K. T. (1988). Children with chronic physical disorders: Maternal reports of their psychological adjustment.Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 13, 197–212.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Van Hasselt, V.B., Ammerman, R.T., Hersen, M. et al. Assessment of social skills and problem behaviors in young children with spina bifida. J Dev Phys Disabil 3, 69–80 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046179
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046179