Abstract
While there has been substantial research on fears in normal children, little is known about fears in developmentally disabled children and adolescents. The present study examined the prevalence and nature of fear among 28 developmentally disabled children and adolescents receiving inpatient or outpatient treatment services. Self-report data, obtained through spontaneous recall of fears and administration of the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children, revealed that although fear prevalence was higher, the overall intensity of fear and the most prominent fears reported by the sample were similar to normative data derived from developmentally intact children and adolescents. Caretaker ratings of prevalence and overall intensity of fear were significantly lower than children's self-report. Results suggest that the nature of fear in developmentally disabled children and adolescents is relatively consistent with that of developmentally intact youth.
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Knapp, L.G., Barrett, R.P., Groden, G. et al. The nature and prevalence of fears in developmentally disabled children and adolescents: A preliminary investigation. J Dev Phys Disabil 4, 195–203 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046964
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046964