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This study aims to determine the difference in post-traumatic growth (PTG) and resilience scores of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors according to their age, gender, and treatment duration, and also the relationship between PTG and resilience. This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in the pediatric hematology and oncology polyclinic of a university hospital. The study consisted of 78 AYAs in the 12-25 age group whose cancer treatment had been completed. AYA survivors were requested to complete the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Child and Youth Resilience Measure-28 (CYRM-28) and the demographic questionnaire. Pearson correlation and regression analysis were used to determine the relationship between PTG and resilience. 69.2% of the AYAs participating in the study were 16-25 years old, 60.3% were male, and 55.1% had high school education. Leukemias (39.7%), lymphomas (33.3%) and solid tumors (10.3%) were found to be the top three diagnoses of AYAs. It was found that 46.3% of the AYAs had received chemotherapy and radiotherapy and 67.9% had been treated for more than 1 year. The mean scale scores of AYAs were 85.83 ± 14.71 for PTGI and 123.03 ± 10.72 for CYRM-28. A high level of positive correlation was found between PTGI mean scores and CYRM-28 mean scores. It was determined that the PTGI score of AYAs increased as their CYRM-28 score increased., Author(s): Sevcan Atay Turan [sup.1] , Sureyya Sarvan [sup.1] , Arzu Akcan [sup.1] , Elif Guler [sup.2] , Birsen Say [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/01m59r132, grid.29906.34, 0000 0001 0428 6825, [...]

This study examined the construct validity of the Autism Classification System of Functioning: Social Communication (ACSF). Participants included 145 parents of children with autism (2-19 years). The degree of convergent and discriminant validity between parent reported ACSF and subscales from Social Responsiveness Scale 2nd edition and Behavior Assessment System for Children, 3rd Edition were examined against a priori hypotheses. We examined construct validity in the entire sample as well as in specific age cohorts. Our findings suggest that ACSF can provide a valid classification system of social communication ability in children with autism 2-19 years of age, and its two subscales may be used to examine different aspects of social communication ability., Author(s): Diana Tajik-Parvinchi [sup.1] [sup.9] , Peter Rosenbaum [sup.2] , Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker [sup.3] , Eric Duku [sup.4] , Lonnie Zwaigenbaum [sup.5] , Caroline Roncadin [sup.6] , Stelios Georgiades [...]

The 2016-2018 National Surveys of Children's Health dataset was used to identify associations among preventive care, unmet health care needs, medical home access, and emergency department (ED) use among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Results indicated that youth with ASD had higher odds of using ED services if they had unmet mental health care needs (OR = 1.58, CI: 1.04-2.39) and lower odds of using ED services if they had access to a medical home (OR = 0.79, CI: 0.63-0.98). Findings suggest the importance of access to coordinated, comprehensive, and patient-centered care to address health care needs and prevent ED utilization among children and adolescents with ASD., Author(s): Natalie M. Badgett [sup.1] [sup.2] , Elenora Sadikova [sup.1] , Michelle Menezes [sup.1] , Micah O. Mazurek [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.27755.32, 0000 0000 9136 933X, University of Virginia, [...]

Limited guidance is available for families of youth with ASD (YASD) to prepare for invasive medical procedures. This study examined caregiver perspectives regarding YASD's gastrointestinal endoscopy (GE) experience to improve the endoscopy experience for YASD. Thirty-four caregivers of YASD, (M = 9.85 years, SD = 4.6) who underwent GE at Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego between May 2018 and July 2019 (identified via electronic health record) participated in a structured phone interview. Caregivers reported a positive experience due to the procedural team's responsiveness to the needs of YASD and appropriately answering/addressing questions/concerns. Caregivers reported a need for ASD-specific information on how to prepare for GE. Specific recommendations are discussed. Study findings offer strategies to improve the care experience of YASD undergoing GE., Author(s): Tierney Kim [sup.1] , Kassandra Martinez [sup.2] [sup.3] , Breanna Lopez Cruz [sup.4] , Jeannie S. Huang [sup.5] [sup.6] , Nicole A. Stadnick [sup.3] [sup.5] [sup.7] Author Affiliations: (1) [...]

This study proposes a revision (R) of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for youth with ID (CESD-ID) in English and French. 346 youth (36.02% girls) with mild (51.26%) and moderate (48.78%) ID (11-22 years; M = 15.69), enrolled in secondary schools in Canada (French-speaking; n = 115), and Australia (English-speaking; n = 231), as well as their parents and teachers, participated in this study. Results support the reliability, factor validity, equivalence (sex, ID level, comorbidities, and country), and convergent validity (with youth-, parent-, and teacher-rated measures of depression, anxiety, and loneliness/social isolation) of the CESD-ID-R. The CESD-ID-R allows youth with ID to provide a reliable and valid assessment of their depressive mood and happiness suitable for epidemiological studies., Author(s): Elizabeth Olivier [sup.1] , Corina Lacombe [sup.2] , Alexandre J. S. Morin [sup.3] , Simon A. Houle [sup.3] , Cynthia Gagnon [sup.4] , Danielle Tracey [sup.5] , Rhonda G. [...]

Knowledge is needed about specific supports and barriers for successful transitions to adulthood for autistic youth, especially from the perspective of parents, who are highly involved in transition preparation. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of previously conducted semi-structured interviews with 39 parents of 41 autistic adolescents to identify themes related to supports and barriers; we then used Bronfenbrenner's Ecological System's Theory to aid in interpreting the themes. We identified three main supports and four main barriers to the transition to adulthood from the parent interviews. The supports and barriers represent factors to consider at each theorized ecological level. Results point to opportunities to promote person-environment fit and support the transition to adulthood for autistic youth at multiple system levels., Author(s): Jenna M. Hoffman [sup.1] , Anne V. Kirby [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) Ensign Therapy Group, , 92675, San Juan Capistrano, CA, USA (2) grid.223827.e, 0000 0001 2193 0096, Department [...]

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. The associations between the cerebellum and clinical traits remain unclear. We performed amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) analysis to explore the associations between spontaneous brain activity and clinical traits. 361 juvenile ASD patients were included from the ABIDEII database. In the ASD group, the mean ALFF values of cerebellum 4 5 were correlated with SRS awareness and communication. The mean ALFF values of cerebellum 6 and vermis 4 5 were both positively correlated with SRS total, awareness, communication, and motivation. In contrast, the mean ALFF values of vermis 1 2 were negatively correlated with SRS total, awareness, and mannerisms. Our study suggests a role of the cerebellum in functional impairments in ASD., Author(s): Jinglun Li [sup.1] [sup.2] , Xiu Chen [sup.1] [sup.2] , Ruwen Zheng [sup.3] , Ai Chen [sup.4] [sup.5] , Yan Zhou [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.6] , Jianghai Ruan [sup.1] [sup.2] [...]

Teaching parents how to create their own video-prompting (VP) and implement it to help their children learn daily living tasks at home can be empowering for parents. Using a multiple probe across three tasks design, we examined the effects of parent-created and parent-implemented VP and error correction strategy on teaching three daily living tasks to a 14-year-old child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Following a one-time training and continuous coaching, a parent successfully created a VP intervention for all three tasks and implemented VP with error correction with high fidelity. Following the intervention implementation, the child with ASD learned to complete daily living tasks with high levels of accuracy and maintained task completion at a 1-week follow-up., Author(s): Gulnoza Yakubova [sup.1] [sup.2] , Briella Baer Chen [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.164295.d, 0000 0001 0941 7177, University of Maryland, , College Park, USA (2) grid.164295.d, 0000 0001 0941 [...]

The purpose of this study was to examine reactivity to accelerometer measurement among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A sample of 23 adolescents with ASD (aged 15.00 ± 1.57 years old; 17 boys) wore triaxial accelerometers for at least 8 h per day for seven consecutive days. Descriptive statistics, including arithmetic means and standard deviations, as well as analysis of covariances with repeated measures (ANCOVAs) were conducted, controlling for participant body mass index and gender. While differences were not statistically significant, they exceed reactivity-based recommendations and have implications for future research with adolescents with ASD. The inverse reactivity pattern among adolescents with ASD is a unique finding that has important implications for research in this area., Author(s): Justin A. Haegele [sup.1] , Xihe Zhu [sup.1] , Hunter J. Bennett [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.261368.8, 0000 0001 2164 3177, Department of Human Movement Science, Old Dominion University, [...]

Atypical sensory processing has recently gained much research interest as a key domain of autistic symptoms. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit difficulties in processing the temporal aspects of sensory inputs, and show altered behavioural responses to sensory stimuli (i.e., sensory responsiveness). The present study examined the relation between sensory responsiveness (assessed by the Adult/Adolescent Sensory Profile) and audiovisual temporal integration (measured by unisensory temporal order judgement (TOJ) tasks and audiovisual simultaneity judgement (SJ) tasks) in typically-developing adolescents (n = 94). We found that adolescents with higher levels of autistic traits exhibited more difficulties in separating visual stimuli in time (i.e., larger visual TOJ threshold) and showed a stronger bias to perceive sound-leading audiovisual pairings as simultaneous. Regarding the associations between different measures of sensory function, reduced visual temporal acuity, but not auditory or multisensory temporal processing, was significantly correlated with more atypical patterns of sensory responsiveness. Furthermore, the positive correlation between visual TOJ thresholds and sensory avoidance was only found in adolescents with relatively high levels of autistic traits, but not in those with relatively low levels of autistic traits. These findings suggest that reduced visual temporal acuity may contribute to altered sensory experiences and may be linked to broader behavioural characteristics of ASD., Author(s): Han-yu Zhou [sup.1] [sup.2] , Han-xue Yang [sup.1] [sup.2] , Li-juan Shi [sup.3] , Simon S. Y. Lui [sup.4] , Eric F. C. Cheung [sup.4] , Raymond C. K. [...]

Noise hypersensitivity is a poorly understood symptom of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). For some, problem behaviors co-occur with the aversive noise. Limited literature exists on treating noise hypersensitivity; however, noise hypersensitivity may be related to a specific phobia. This case study utilizes modified Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to address anxiety, avoidance, and problem behaviors evoked by noise in a teen with ASD and mild Intellectual Disability (ID). Using multi-method assessment and individualized treatment, problem behaviors reduced, and independent coping strategies use occurred. Successful desensitization supports the efficacy of modified CBT as a treatment for noise-related anxiety and problem behaviors in individuals with ASD and ID. Outcomes are discussed considering intervention difficulties for noise hypersensitivity in a complex and diverse population., Author(s): Jill C. Fodstad [sup.1] [sup.2] , Stephanie A. Kerswill [sup.1] , Alexandra C. Kirsch [sup.3] , Ann Lagges [sup.1] [sup.2] , Jonathan Schmidt [sup.4] [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.257413.6, [...]

The purpose of the current study was to examine executive function (EF) in adolescents with type 1 diabetes using both performance-based and questionnaire measures in relation to diabetes indicators. Adolescents age 13-17 completed performance-based measures of EF and measures of adherence. Adolescents' parents reported on adolescents' EF and adherence. HbA1c and frequency of blood glucose monitoring (glucometer data) were obtained from adolescents' medical records. None of the performance-based measures of EF were significantly associated with adherence or with HbA1c. Parent-reported problems with EF were associated with poorer adherence, and adolescents who scored in the impaired range of the Behavioral Regulation Index of EF had significantly poorer adherence (both parent-reported adherence and frequency of blood glucose monitoring) and higher HbA1c than those in the normal range. Our findings suggest that parent-reported measures of EF may be more strongly linked to diabetes indicators than performance-based measures., Author(s): Emily R. Hamburger [sup.1] , Morgan Lyttle [sup.1] , Bruce E. Compas [sup.2] , Sarah S. Jaser [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (Aff1) grid.412807.8, 0000 0004 1936 9916, Department of Pediatrics, [...]

We examined associations of social support and loneliness with eating and activity among parent-adolescent dyads (N = 2968) using actor-partner interdependence modeling. Loneliness had several actor associations with health behaviors (adolescents: less physical activity [PA], p < .001, more sedentariness, p < .001; parents: less fruit/vegetable consumption [FVC], p = .029, more hedonic food consumption [HFC], p = .002, and sedentariness, p < .001), but only one dyadic association (adolescent loneliness with less parent FVC, p = .039). Visible support was associated with less HFC, p < .001, and sedentariness, p < .001, but less FVC, p = .008, among adolescents. Invisible support was associated with less HFC, p = .003, but also less PA, p = .028, among adolescents. Both support types were associated with less HFC among parents, p < .001, but invisible support was also associated with less FVC, p = .029, and PA, p = .012, and more sedentariness, p = .013, among parents. When examining health behavior among parents and adolescents, it may be important to consider social support (but perhaps not loneliness) at a dyadic level., Author(s): Jessica D. Welch [sup.1] , Erin M. Ellis [sup.1] , Paige A. Green [sup.1] , Rebecca A. Ferrer [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.48336.3a, 0000 0004 1936 8075, Basic Biobehavioral [...]

Background Suicidal ideation is a major risk for a suicide attempt in younger people, such that reducing severity of ideation is an important target for suicide prevention. Smartphone applications present a new opportunity for managing ideation in young adults; however, confirmatory evidence for efficacy from randomized trials is lacking. The objective of this study was to assess whether a therapeutic smartphone application ('LifeBuoy') was superior to an attention-matched control application at reducing the severity of suicidal ideation. Methods and findings In this 2-arm parallel, double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 455 young adults from Australia experiencing recent suicidal ideation and aged 18 to 25 years were randomly assigned in a 2:2 ratio to use a smartphone application for 6 weeks in May 2020, with the final follow-up in October 2020. The primary outcome was change in suicidal ideation symptom severity scores from baseline (T0) to postintervention (T1) and 3-month postintervention follow-up (T2), measured using the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS). Secondary outcomes were symptom changes in depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9, PHQ-9), generalized anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, GAD-7), distress (Distress Questionnaire-5, DQ5), and well-being (Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, SWEMWBS). This trial was conducted online, using a targeted social media recruitment strategy. The intervention groups were provided with a self-guided smartphone application based on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT; 'LifeBuoy') to improve emotion regulation and distress tolerance. The control group were provided a smartphone application that looked like LifeBuoy ('LifeBuoy-C'), but delivered general (nontherapeutic) information on a range of health and lifestyle topics. Among 228 participants randomized to LifeBuoy, 110 did not complete the final survey; among 227 participants randomized to the control condition, 91 did not complete the final survey. All randomized participants were included in the intent-to-treat analysis for the primary and secondary outcomes. There was a significant time x condition effect for suicidal ideation scores in favor of LifeBuoy at T1 (p < 0.001, d = 0.45) and T2 (p = 0.007, d = 0.34). There were no superior intervention effects for LifeBuoy on any secondary mental health outcomes from baseline to T1 or T2 [p-values: 0.069 to 0.896]. No serious adverse events (suicide attempts requiring medical care) were reported. The main limitations of the study are the lack of sample size calculations supporting the study to be powered to detect changes in secondary outcomes and a high attrition rate at T2, which may lead efficacy to be overestimated. Conclusions LifeBuoy was associated with superior improvements in suicidal ideation severity, but not secondary mental health outcomes, compared to the control application, LifeBuoy-C. Digital therapeutics may need to be purposefully designed to target a specific health outcome to have efficacy. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12619001671156, Author(s): Michelle Torok 1,*, Jin Han 1, Lauren McGillivray 1, Quincy Wong 2, Aliza Werner-Seidler 1, Bridianne O'Dea 1, Alison Calear 3, Helen Christensen 1 Introduction Young people have repeatedly [...]

Editor's Note: The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) strives to provide up-to-date and relevant information on environmental health and to build partnerships in the profession. In pursuit of these goals, [...]

This study reaffirms our previous work documenting a higher number of Emergency Department (ED) visits by adolescent females with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as compared to adolescent males with ASD, as well as significantly more ED visits by older adolescents than younger adolescents with ASD. Combined externalizing and internalizing psychiatric co-morbidities as well as internalizing conditions alone predict a higher number of ED visits in this study. Illness severity as demonstrated by patterns of visits to primary care physicians and psychiatric referrals prior to ED visits and the prescription of two or more classes of psychotropic medications also predict higher number of ED visits. Finally, as expected, previous ED visits predict future ED visits. The identification of these factors may prove helpful in determining adequacy of current supports and resources for teens with ASD navigating the challenges of adolescence., Author(s): Guodong Liu [sup.1] [sup.2] , Amanda M. Pearl [sup.2] , Lan Kong [sup.1] , Sierra L. Brown [sup.2] , Djibril Ba [sup.1] , Doug L. Leslie [sup.1] [sup.2] , [...]

Oil booms, while resulting in economic advantages, bring risks because basic infrastructure is not in place to accommodate the needs of burgeoning populations. This paper describes findings regarding risks to [...]

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty comprehending metaphors. However, no study to date has examined whether or not they understand conceptual metaphors (i.e. mappings between conceptual structures), which could be the building blocks of metaphoric thinking and understanding. We investigated whether 13 participants with ASD (age 7; 03-22; 03) and 13 age-matched typically developing (TD) controls could comprehend lexicalized conceptual metaphors (e.g., Susan is a warm person) and novel ones (e.g., Susan is a toasty person). Individuals with ASD performed at greater than chance levels on both metaphor types, although their performance was lower than TD participants. We discuss the theoretical relevance of these findings and educational implications. Keywords Autism * Metaphor * Conceptual metaphor * Language, Metaphors, which are statements (e.g., that lawyer is a shark) that communicate something about a target concept (e.g., lawyers) by inviting a comparison to a source concept (e.g., sharks), are [...]

Based on Boyce and Ellis' model on context and biological sensitivity to the context, this article analyzes the interaction between the experience of daily hassles and experimentally induced cardiovascular reactivity as an indicator of stress reactivity, in explaining risk taking and self-esteem. This study found, in a sample of 599 adolescents, that (1. daily hassles were more strongly related to risk taking in boys and girls with high vs. low levels of cardiovascular reactivity and (2. taking into account the gendered experience of daily hassles was important in predicting outcomes for stress-reactive boys and girls. These results indicate that a biosocial approach may result in an increased understanding of the variability in the outcomes of stressors., The experience of stressors such as daily hassles or life events is a frequently studied correlate of internalizing (e.g., low self-esteem, depression) and externalizing (e.g., risk taking) forms of adjustment [...]