CONCLUSION
The primary goal of the current study was to examine the role of
ecological constraints (task and contextual complexity) on the object
retrieval skills of young children with DS. The results indicated that
children with DS perform poorly compared to mental-age matched TD
children when contextual (retrieving toy from an opaque box) and task +
contextual complexity (retrieving toy from a transparent box within an
opaque box) is introduced. The poor performance of the DS population was
related to poor bimanual hand use, poor executive skills, and slower
processing/movement speeds. Given that object retrieval is a critical
development skill, future studies are needed for an in-depth examination
of the development and specificity of means-ends exploratory behaviors
in children with DS. This will not only improve our understanding of the
disorder but will also help clarify the treatment targets and goals for
children with DS.