Behaviour of students with comorbidity of cerebral palsy and intellectual disability in the school environment

Abstract

Each person actualizes his/her presence and contact with others through his/her behaviour. It integrates all personal abilities that are aimed at immediate goal. The main objective of this study was to assess the behaviour of children with comorbidity of cerebral palsy and intellectual disability in the school environment. The research sample consisted from 31 students of both sexes (54.8% were male and 45.2% were female students), who in addition to cerebral palsy also had reduced intellectual functioning. The average age of examinees was from 9 to 14 years (M = 10.9, SD = 1.189). The survey was conducted in elementary school 'Miodrag Matic', and the Questionnaire for the evaluation of the student's behaviour was used for the purpose of data collection. The research results showed no statistically significant difference between male and female students when it comes to student behaviour in the school class and on vacation. When it comes to the domain of behaviour in relation to the authority, the resulting difference was in the variable 'praise' (p = 0.034). Knowing the individual characteristics of each child is of exceptional importance, as this makes it possible to improve the strategies for the solving of behavioural problems in children with comorbidity of cerebral palsy and intellectual disability.

Keywords

• behaviour
• cerebral palsy
• intellectual disability
• the school environment