This study aims to provide empirical basic data for the successful social integration and improvement of the quality of life of adolescents with developmental disabilities. Recently, as challenging behaviors of adolescents with developmental disabilities have emerged as a major difficulty in social integration in education and welfare settings, the study originated from the need to identify key factors influencing challenging behaviors. To this end, it seeks to determine the direct impact of daily living skills of adolescents with developmental disabilities on challenging behaviors. This study is a quantitative research using the second wave panel data of the “Survey on the Work and Life Conditions of People with Developmental Disabilities” (distributed in April 2025). A total of 1,034 adolescents with developmental disabilities, aged 9 to 24, who met the research objectives were selected as the final subjects for analysis. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0, performing descriptive statistics and correlation analysis, and the moderating effect of self-understanding was statistically analyzed using Process Macro Model 1. The main variable measurement tools utilized in the study were the daily living skills, self-understanding, and challenging behavior scales used in the panel survey. The results showed that higher daily living skills were significantly associated with a decrease in challenging behaviors. In particular, it was confirmed that self-understanding acts as an important moderating variable in this relationship. Specifically, in the group of adolescents with low self-understanding, improvements in daily living skills had a greater effect on reducing challenging behaviors. Based on the research findings, this study suggests that, for the intervention of challenging behaviors in adolescents with developmental disabilities, it is essential to implement an integrated approach that goes beyond traditional behavioral methods to enhance adolescents' internal resource of self-understanding. This study is expected to contribute to broadening the understanding of challenging behaviors in adolescents with developmental disabilities and to establishing more effective and fundamental support strategies by empirically demonstrating the importance of self-understanding.
Young Sook Kang (Fri,) studied this question.
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