Implications of Using the BRIEF-Preschool With School-Age Children With Down Syndrome

Am J Intellect Dev Disabil. 2024 Jan 1;129(1):41-55. doi: 10.1352/1944-7558-129.1.41.

Abstract

This study evaluated the appropriateness of scoring the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool (BRIEF-P) using age-equivalent scores generated from multiple measures of cognition and language among school-age children with Down syndrome (DS). Subscale T scores for 95 children with DS were contrasted using standard scoring on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Second edition (BRIEF-2; based on chronological age) to alternate scoring using the BRIEF-P (based on age-equivalent) for patterns of subscale intercorrelations, differences in mean scores, and agreement on findings from clinical cut-off scores. Results with children with DS suggested using (1) the BRIEF-P for children ages 2-5 years old, (2) the BRIEF-2 with chronological-age scoring or the BRIEF-P with age-equivalent scoring (with some caveats) for research on children ages 5-10 years old, and (3) the BRIEF-2 for children ages 11 and older.

Keywords: BRIEF-2; BRIEF-P; Down syndrome; executive functioning; trisomy 21.

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cognition
  • Down Syndrome*
  • Executive Function
  • Humans
  • Schools