Performance After Mastery of Means-End Problem Solving Differs in Children with Mild Versus Significant Motor Delays

• In Event: Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Topic - Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

Introduction: Means-end problem-solving (MEPS) tasks may serve as an early diagnostic tool to identify cognitive delays in children at risk (Clearfield et al., 2015; Cunha et al., 2018). The purpose of this study was to evaluate developmental trajectories of MEPS in children with mild vs. significant motor delays and define whether and how the timing of MEPS mastery achievement would affect these developmental trajectories.
Methods: Children with motor delays (n=112 total; n=62 with mild delays & n=50 with significant delays according to gross motor score on Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition; 10.4±2.4 months corrected age at baseline) were tested on their MEPS skills using a towel-pull task (pulling a towel to retrieve an out-of-reach toy; 3 trials) at baseline, and 1.5, 3, 6, 12 months after the baseline. The means-end problem-solving assessment tool (MEPSAT; Cunha et al., in press) was used to evaluate children’s MEPS outcome behaviors: means-end learning, means-end level of performance, and intentionality (Figure 1A-B). Also, the timing of MEPS mastery achievement was determined as the first visit when a child scored at the highest level of mean-end performance in at least 2 trials. Mplus (version 6.12) was used to evaluate developmental trajectories of the MEPS outcome behaviors depending on the timing of MEPS mastery achievement.
Results: On average, children with mild motor delays performed significantly better than those with significant delays across the duration of the study for all three outcomes. Performance after initial mastery level achievement differed in children with mild versus significant delays. Children with mild delays showed declines or plateaus in level of performance at or shortly after the time of mastery achievement, while children with significant delays continued to show improvements. The developmental trajectories of children with different motor development status depended on the timing of MEPS mastery achievement. Specifically, in children with significant delays, those who achieved MEPS mastery sooner (at the first 2 visits) showed significantly greater improvement (steeper slope of change; p<.05) in all three MEPS outcome behaviors compared to other children (those with mild delays or those with significant delays who did not show early task mastery) throughout the remainder of the study.
Discussion: The MEPSAT was sensitive to identify differences in the developmental trajectories of MEPS behaviors between children with mild vs. significant motor delays. Performance in relation to the timing of mastery level achievement was different for children with mild versus significant motor delays. Children with mild motor delays may solidify mastery of a task within a shorter time period before they advance to learn other tasks and demonstrate decreased interest and poorer performance in the previously mastered task. On the other hand, children with significant motor delays may require more prolonged periods to solidify mastery of a task, demonstrating continued engagement and improved performance throughout that prolonged period. The MEPSAT might be predictive of 12-month trajectories of means-end problem-solving in children with significant motor delays; it might serve as a tool for early screening of problem-solving skills in children with motor delays.

Group Authors

START-Play Consortium: Regina T. Harbourne, Michele A. Lobo, Stacey C. Dusing, Sarah W. McCoy, James Bovaird, Natalie Koziol, Lin-Ya Hsu, Audrey E. Kane, Sandra L. Willett, Susan Sheridan

Authors

• Andrea Baraldi Cunha, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC)
  Presenting Author

• Iryna Babik, Boise State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Dong-Ho Choi
  Non-Presenting Author

• Natalie A. Koziol, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  Non-Presenting Author

• Regina T. Harbourne, Duquesne University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Stacey C. Dusing, University of Southern California
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sarah W. McCoy, University Of Washington
  Non-Presenting Author

• James Bovaird, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  Non-Presenting Author

• Michele A Lobo, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author