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Although individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are attending college at higher rates, students with ASD continue to struggle with adjusting to the college environment and successfully completing their degrees. Thus, the present study compared executive functioning (EF) and academic outcomes (i.e., performance, adjustment) among students with and without ASD traits, as well as examined associations among these variables. Findings revealed greater executive dysfunction and lower levels of both social and personal-emotional adjustment among students with ASD traits. Additionally, ASD symptomatology predicted social and personal-emotional adjustment among students, above and beyond the influence of EF. Results suggest that cognitive, social, and emotional supports may all be important to improve college adjustment among individuals with ASD.

Objective Benefit-finding and growth is an important process across a range of medical populations. However, it has been understudied in the context of lifelong chronic conditions, such as spina bifida (SB). This study aimed to develop a new measure of benefit-finding and growth for youth with SB, confirm its factor structure, and examine its psychometric properties. Method To generate items for the new measure, 20 adolescents and young adults with SB completed qualitative interviews regarding their experience of living with SB. Interviews were coded for benefits. Questionnaire items were generated from these benefits, and an expert panel refined the wording of these items. The resultant 31-item measure was shared with six of the 20 participants for feedback and then piloted among 251 youth with SB. The factor structure of the measure was confirmed and reliability and convergent validity were assessed. Results Both a one- and four-factor structure were supported. The four factors include: Life Perspectives and Priorities, Personal Characteristics and Traits, Connections and Opportunities, and Problem Solving. Higher total and factor scores represent greater benefit-finding and growth. The measure demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = 0.95). The new measure also showed significant positive correlations with optimism, positive affect, and life satisfaction. Conclusions This study produced a measure of benefit-finding and growth for youth with SB. Clinically, information about what youth with SB perceive to be their areas of strength and growth from their condition provides crucial insight into which factors to enhance in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundAdolescents and young adults with spina bifida (AYA-SBs) have unique user needs, given their variable and complex symptom profile. Owing to multiple barriers to prevention and intervention treatments for secondary conditions (eg, obesity), AYA-SBs may benefit from the use of behavioral intervention technologies (BITs). However, as BITs are often designed and tested with typically developing individuals, it is unclear if existing BITs may be usable for AYA-SBs. ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the usability of a high-quality, publicly available, weight management–focused mobile BIT (smartphone app) for AYA-SBs. MethodsOverall, 28 AYA-SBs attending a Young Men’s Christian Association–based summer camp completed 4 structured usability tasks using a weight management app designed for the general public called My Diet Coach (Bending Spoons). Learnability was measured by (1) time to complete task, (2) number of user errors, and (3) correct entry of data when requested by the app. Satisfaction and general usability were measured via self-reported questionnaires and qualitative feedback following interactions with the app. ResultsThe majority of the sample were able to complete the tasks, with increased completion rates and improved times on second attempts of the tasks (Ps

Objective Caregiver expressed emotion (EE), an interview-based measure of emotional valence within an interpersonal relationship, is associated with psychosocial outcomes across multiple conditions. Guided by a model implicating a bidirectional role of "Chronic Family Stress" in the unfolding of EE in family environments, the current study examined demographic, medical, and family-level variables in association with EE in caregivers of children with spina bifida (SB). Methods Data were combined from 2 distinct studies of families with a child with SB, resulting in a sample of 174 (ages 8–17). Linear regressions examined the family stressors and child variables in association with maternal and paternal warmth and criticism, as coded from EE interviews. Results Higher levels of family stress were associated with paternal criticism (p =.03), while having non-Hispanic White children was associated with both maternal and paternal criticism (p s <.005). Having children younger in age (p s <.01) and without a shunt (p s <.01) was associated with higher warmth. Conclusions Family stressors, absence of the negative impacts of systemic racism, shunt status, and age appear to be associated with the expression of EE in caregivers of a child with SB. Findings highlight multiple assessment considerations, including assessing EE when children are younger to engage caregivers with children with SB when they are more likely to be expressing more warmth. Pinpointing factors associated with caregiver EE in SB will help to better identify families at risk for high levels of criticism and also aid in the development of targeted prevention and intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the predictive role of social skills in youth with spina bifida (SB) on growth in medical responsibility across development.Methods: As part of a larger, longitudinal study, 140 youth with SB were assessed across four time points (ages 8-22 across time points). Mixed-effects models were investigated for change with: (a) no predictors (i.e., change in medical responsibility across age; time was examined using the participant's age, centered at 11.5 years); (b) social variables (i.e., observed social behaviors, parent- and teacher-reported social skills) as predictors; and (c) social variables as predictors with intelligence quotient, lesion level, and sex as covariates.Results: Significant growth with age was identified for medical responsibility (p < .0001). Observed, parent-reported, and teacher-reported social skills did not significantly predict this growth; however, all three predicted the intercept for medical responsibility at 11.5 years of age (ps ≤ .047). Parent-reported social skills remained a significant predictor of the intercept at 11.5 years of age when including the covariates (p = .008).Conclusions: Children with SB who exhibited more positive social skills were more likely to a have higher level of medical responsibility in late childhood, but higher levels of social skills were not associated with a more rapid increase in responsibility over time. Identifying existing social strengths and promoting the practice of prosocial skills may have additional benefits to children with SB, including their acquisition of medical responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Behavioral intervention technologies (BITs) stand as a promising delivery mechanism that overcomes multiple condition-specific and access barriers for self-management interventions for adolescents and young adults with spina bifida (AYA-SB). The purpose of the current review was to synthesize the behavioral and self-management intervention literature in conditions that have overlapping symptoms with youth with SB and to develop a model of likely user needs for AYA-SB that promotes self-management.Method: The search strategy was conducted by a medical research librarian in the following databases: MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Elsevier), PsycINFO (EbscoHost), the Cochrane Library (Wiley), and Web of Science (Thomson Reuters) databases. The review was based on a systematic narrative synthesis framework and adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (registration number CRD42018092342).Results: In total, 18 articles were included in the current BIT review. The majority of included studies (1) targeted the management of chronic health conditions, (2) were informed by evidence-based approaches, (3) relied on content delivery, (4) were Web-based, (5) used linear or user-driven workflows, (6) included professional human support, and (7) included a control condition.Conclusions: Many of the evaluated BITs resulted in acceptable usage and maintained or improved targeted symptoms. A user needs model for AYA-SB is proposed with the intention that future research will promote further refinement and ultimate deployment of a BIT for AYA-SB to promote self-management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about how youth with spina bifida (SB) acquire adaptive functioning skills across development. Therefore, the current study examined: (1) trajectories of adaptive functioning in youth with SB as they transitioned from childhood into adolescence, and (2) neuropsychological functioning as a potential risk factor for long-term adaptive functioning difficulties. Participants (n = 131 youth with SB) were recruited as part of a larger ongoing longitudinal study. Growth curves were used to examine changes over time across six adaptive functioning skills: communication, self-direction, functional academics, social, self-care, and home living skills. Additionally, youth's attention and executive functioning (i.e., working memory, planning/organizational skills, cognitive flexibility, inhibition) were assessed via questionnaires and performance-based assessments, and entered as predictors in the models. Youth's communication, self-direction, functional academics, self-care, and home living skills increased over time across age, whereas youth's social skills did not. Scaled scores for youth's social, communication, self-direction, and functional academics skills were generally within normal limits, whereas those for self-care and home living skills fell in the borderline range. Better attention and executive functioning predicted a higher intercept for many adaptive functioning abilities at 11.5 years old, above and beyond the influence of IQ. However, these variables did not predict growth in adaptive functioning. Results indicate that youth with SB acquire skills across development to better meet the demands of daily life. However, youth with poorer neurocognitive functioning may demonstrate adaptive functioning deficits in early childhood and benefit from timely intervention.