Latent Class Analysis on Types of Challenging Behavior in Persons with Developmental Disabilities: Focusing on Factors Affecting the Types of Challenging Behavior

This study sought to analyze the latent classes of challenging behaviors among persons with developmental disabilities and examine the effects of related variables. To this end, the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities collected data from the Survey on the Work and Life of Persons with Developmental Disabilities from 3000 households that included at least one family member with a developmental disability aged ≥15 years, surveying the persons themselves as well as their caregivers. As a result of the analysis, four latent classes were derived based on the types of challenging behavior and named as follows: overall challenging behavior, aggressive behavior, socially inappropriate behavior, and no challenging behavior. The main disability, disability grade, presence of multiple disabilities, disability status, activities of daily living, reading skills, writing skills, and situational awareness were significant factors affecting each latent class in the type of challenging behavior. Significant factors differed among the groups. This study identified the types of challenging behaviors and their influencing factors in a large sample of individuals with developmental disabilities and analyzed the correlation between their challenging behaviors and activities of daily living.