Executive function in down syndrome children in Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract

The study aim was to characterize executive function in 114 children with Down syndrome from a reference institution in Bogotá, Colombia. Children were screened with the Battelle Developmental Inventory to establish their developmental age. Eighty children with an equivalent mental age of 2–5.11 years were allocated to groups of 20 according to their mental age. Parents and teachers then completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version. We found a high variability and a low correlation between parent and teacher ratings. In general, children showed a specific profile characterized by weakness in the domains of working memory, shifting, planning, and organization, and strengths in the emotional control domain. These findings indicate a characteristic pattern of executive function in children with Down syndrome. This profile could form the basis for the planning of clinical assessment programs.