Cognitive and social problem solving ability in adults with disability: the case of brain injured persons.

Aim: The study analyses everyday problem solving of persons with mild or moderate intellectual disability when facing situations dealing more heavily on external, cognitive, constraints of the problem or on interpersonal, social, relevance of the solution provided. The relationship between problem solving and global levels of functioning and neuropathology underlying disability was also addressed. Method: Thirty adults with intellectual disability (either genetic or early acquired) and 30 adults without disability, matched by age and gender, were asked to produce possible solutions to a series of everyday life problems. To assess the other dimensions, some instruments standardized for the Italian context were used. Results: All adults with disability showed difficulties in finding an effective resolution to everyday problems. Cognitive and social problem solving did not overlap in the degree of difficulty. Persons with early acquired developmental disability displayed higher cognitive problem solving abilities. The difficulty did not correlate with global level of functioning and language difficulties. Conclusions: The findings provide evidence for specific and differentiated patterns of difficulties in solving problems which rely more heavily on interpersonal relevance of the solution or on cognitive constraints. The importance of a multidimensional approach to assessment of problem solving difficulties is then underlined.