Auditory attention and practical adaptive skills in persons with moderate intellectual disability

Abstract

The research aims to determine the relation between auditory attention and practical adaptive skills in persons with moderate intellectual disability (MIO). The sample included 66 persons with MID, 33 (50%) men and 33 (50%) women, between 17 and 54 years of age (AM=30.89; SD=9.637). Auditory attention was assessed by tasks testing auditory span (verbal and nonverbal) and maintaining auditory attention, which belong to the Protocol for Cognitive Abilities Assessment. Data on practical adaptive skills were obtained from standardized interviews with special educators, by applying Independent functioning and Physical development domains of the Adaptive Functioning Scale. The results of the assessed domains were grouped into the Personal independence factor, which represents the acquisition level of practical adaptive skills. Compared to the norms for the population of persons with intellectual disability, the standard scores mean value of the participants with MID in practical skills domain was above average. No statistically significant difference was determined between the participants' age and gender and their achievements in practical skills domain. The results of the participants with MID in tasks assessing auditory attention were extremely uneven. In tasks which assess attention range, the mean value of the achieved level/span of verbal attention was 1.8 (a bit under four stimuli in a row), and the span of nonverbal auditory attention did not reach the first level (two stimuli in a row). With regard to the achievements in maintaining attention task, the participants grouped into two categories, with more participants (53%) belonging to the category characterized by a complete failure in performing the task. By applying the analysis of variance, it was determined that verbal attention span was a statistically significant factor (p=0.033) of the personal independence factor, while nonverbal auditory span (p=0.028-0.003) and maintaining auditory attention (p=0.031-0.001) were statistically significant factors of practical skills in all assessed domains.