Profiles of parent-teacher discrepancy on autistic children's adaptive functioning.

To characterize the adaptive behavior profile of children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and determine its relationship to neuropsychological functioning and non-neoplastic T2-weighted hyperintense brain lesions on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this cross-sectional study, we retrospectively reviewed neuropsychological reports from 104 children with NF1 (56 males, 48 females; mean age 10y 4mo; standard deviation [SD] 3y 4mo; range 3y 5mo-17y 6mo), and extracted data from a range of cognitive and behavioral measures, including the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS). Brain MRI was retrospectively reviewed in 42 individuals. Adaptive Behavior Assessment System scores were continuously distributed and pathologically shifted by 0.79 to 1.26SD across Conceptual, Social, and Practical domains, and 46.5% of individuals had a composite score in the borderline or impaired range. Impairment in adaptive functioning was correlated with deficits in executive function (r=-9.543, p<0.001), externalizing problems (r=-0.366, p<0.001), and attention (r=-9.467, p=0.001). Cluster analysis revealed three distinct phenotypic subgroups, one of which exhibited normal cognitive ability, but impaired adaptive functioning, with persistent deficits in executive function, behavioral problems, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptomatology. There was no relationship between ABAS scores and the number or location of unidentified bright objects. Adaptive functioning deficits are common among children with NF1 and are associated with impairment in other cognitive/behavioral domains, independent of general cognitive ability. Deficits in adaptive behavior are common in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Poor adaptive functioning is associated with impairments in executive function, externalizing behaviors, and attention, regardless of cognitive ability. The presence or location of unidentified bright objects do not predict adaptive behavior skills in children with NF1.

Mothers and fathers of children and adolescents with Down syndrome experience parenting stress differently: Analysis on associated factors.

Temperament is often thought of as behavioural traits that are relatively stable over time but can vary between individuals. Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are often characterized as having 'reactive' and 'negative' temperaments when compared to same-aged peers with or without disabilities, which can negatively impact the development of adaptive functioning skills but little is known about variations of temperament between individual children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. This study aimed to (a) explore the variation of individual temperament traits within a sample of school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder to determine whether subgroups with similar trait profiles emerge and (b) examine whether temperament influences the relationship between autism symptoms and adaptive functioning outcomes. Results from our dataset suggest that children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder fit under two profiles: 'even' and 'reactive'. Furthermore, our analysis shows that temperament can influence the impact of increasing symptom severity on adaptive functioning skills in children with autism spectrum disorder. Study findings highlight the importance of considering temperament when trying to understand the individual differences that influence the development of functioning and developmental outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder.

This study explored the relationship of exposure to violence and children's perceptions of neighborhood safety and children's adaptive functioning. It used a cross-sectional quadi-experimental design of 300 inner-city children and a bttery of standardized measures, which included the Child Maltreatment Classification Scheme, Exposure to Community Violence Scale, the Domains of Safety Subscale for Neighborhood, and the Child Behavior Checklist-Teacher's Report form. Hierarchal regression analysis revealed that child maltreatment history and perceptions of neighborhood safety were significantly related to children's overall adaptive functioning. Social workers can help by engaging in efforts to increase neighborhood safety and reinforcing positive adaptive psychosocial functioning of children at risk or exposed to violence.

Parent beliefs and children's social-behavioral functioning: The mediating role of parent–teacher relationships

Relations between Emotion Regulation and Adaptive Functioning in Children and Adolescents with Williams Syndrome

In the context of developmental trajectories, the association between adaptive functioning and core autism symptomatology remains unclear. The current study examines the associations of adaptive behavior with autism symptom sub-domains and with different facets of symptom expression. Participants include 36 children with a recent diagnosis of autism (33 males; mean age = 56.4 months; SD = 9 months). Families were recruited in the context of the Pediatric Autism Research Cohort (PARC) project. Parents filled out questionnaires at two time points, six months apart, regarding their child's autism symptoms and adaptive functioning. The longitudinal relationship between adaptive functioning and autism symptoms was investigated using Mixed Linear Model analyses: one assessing the relationship between general symptom levels and adaptive functioning, and another examining the associations between symptom frequency and impact with adaptive functioning. We conducted Pearson correlation tests at both time points to assess the associations between symptom sub-domains and adaptive functioning. Findings showed that higher autism symptoms associated with lower adaptive behavior skills, and that this association remained stable over time. Autism impact scores did not significantly relate to adaptive skills, as opposed to frequency scores. Associations between adaptive functioning and autism symptom sub-domains strengthened over time. These findings suggest that adaptive functioning is associated with parent-report autism symptomatology, and that this association changes and, on average, becomes stronger over time. Findings may indicate that frequency and impact of symptoms have differential roles in the development of adaptive skills and are worthy of further exploration.

This study investigates the relationship between anxiety symptoms and adaptive function in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). Seventy-eight children between 7 and 14 years of age with 22q11.2DS and 36 typically developing (TD) children without known genetic syndromes participated in a larger study of neurocognition. Parents completed questionnaires about their child's anxiety symptoms (Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition [BASC-2] and Spence Children's Anxiety Scale [SCAS]) and adaptive functioning (BASC-2 and Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, 2nd edition). Within the 22q11.2DS group, different DSM-IV anxiety domains were also analyzed using SCAS subscales. Based on parent report, 19% of children with 22q11.2DS had a prior diagnosis of an anxiety disorder versus 58% with at least 1 elevated anxiety score (BASC-2 or SCAS). Mean BASC-2 anxiety scores were significantly higher in 22q11.2DS (55.6 ± 12.5) than in TD children (48.3 ± 10; p = .003), and a greater percentage of children with 22q11.2DS (37%) had an elevated BASC-2 anxiety scores compared with TD children (14%; p = .01). Higher anxiety scores were related to lower adaptive function (r = -.27; p = .015), but there was no relationship between Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th edition Full Scale Intelligence Quotient and BASC-2 adaptive skills (r = -.06; p = .6) in the 22q11.2DS group. For the individual SCAS anxiety subscales, panic-agoraphobia (r = -.38; p = .03), physical injury (r = -.34; p = .05), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (r = -.47; p = .005) were significantly negatively related to adaptive function in 22q11.2DS. Despite the known risk, anxiety is underidentified in children with 22q11.2DS. The presence of anxiety symptoms, but not intelligence levels, in children with 22q11.2DS negatively correlated with adaptive function and impacts everyday living skills.

Adaptive functioning is central to autistic individuals' independence and well-being. However, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with poor adaptive functioning, even in the absence of cognitive delays or deficits. This study examined how age and executive function associate with adaptive functioning-particularly the gap between cognitive and adaptive functioning. We addressed our research questions separately for a school-age (N = 101 ages 7-12) cohort and a preschool (N = 48 ages 2 and 4) cohort of autistic children without cognitive delays. Both cohorts of parents reported on their children's adaptive and executive functioning skills. The difference between adaptive and cognitive skills was computed for each participant. For each cohort, we evaluated whether adaptive skills decline with age. Next, we measured, in each cohort, whether children's executive function corresponded with this gap between their adaptive and cognitive skills. Adaptive functioning did not decline relative to cognitive ability in the younger cohort, but the gap was present in the school-age cohort. Yet, reduced executive function consistently corresponded with a greater cognitive-adaptive gap in socialization domains for both preschool and school-age children. Targeting EF, specifically emotional control, during preschool years may support both adaptive functioning and social connectedness for autistic children without cognitive delays.

Identifying the factors related to adaptive functioning will improve the information available to families and providers of females with Trisomy X. Cognitive and behavioral features were assessed in 50 females ages 12.2 ± 3.6 years using the Behavior Assessment System for Children Second Edition (BASC-2) and Wechsler Scales of Intelligence. Executive functioning, social skills, and autistic traits were evaluated in a subset. Adaptive functioning was assessed using the BASC-2 adaptive skills composite score (ASC). Participants were classified as average adaptive skills (ASC T-score > 40) or deficits (ASC T-score < 40). Group comparisons were conducted. Multiple linear regression examined which factors contributed to ASC score. Twenty-eight females (55.6%) had adaptive skills deficits with functional communication being the most commonly affected adaptive domain. The group with ASC in the average range had higher verbal IQ (VIQ) and lower rates of numerous behavioral concerns. Internalizing behavior composite, DSM-IV inattentive symptoms score, and VIQ were significant predictors of ASC. Prenatally diagnosed females comprised over 70% of those with average adaptive skills. In this study, internalizing behaviors, inattentive ADHD symptoms, and VIQ were associated with poorer adaptive functioning. Early interventions targeting internalizing behaviors, attention/executive functioning, and communication skills may improve adaptive skills and deserve further study.

Linking cognitive flexibility, planning, and autistic traits: The mediating role of cognitive abilities.

In the present study, we examined adaptive functioning data from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, a randomized controlled trial of foster care as an alternative to institutional care following exposure to severe psychosocial deprivation. Adaptive functioning refers to the skills individuals need to meet age-appropriate social and practical demands required for independent functioning. These abilities are essential for successful navigation of daily life and can be impacted by early adversity. We report data from 134 children (55% female) assessed in early adulthood (Mage = 18.9 years). Adaptive functioning was assessed via the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Vineland). We found that 16 years after randomization occurred, those who had been randomized to the foster care group (FCG) had significantly higher scores in adaptive functioning, including communication and socialization skills, compared to those in care as usual group (CAUG). Further, when examining age equivalences (i.e., individual's adaptive functioning by representing their functional level in terms of age milestones), individuals in the FCG had higher age equivalences compared to those in the CAUG. Mediation analyses revealed that caregiving quality partially mediated the association between the intent-to-treat group (i.e., CAUG vs. FCG) and adaptive functioning, with higher caregiving quality associated with higher levels of adaptive functioning. Similarly, caregiving quality mediated the association when comparing the never-institutionalized group to the ever-institutionalized group (CAUG + FCG) and adaptive functioning. These findings underscore the positive impact of nurturing environments on children's adaptive functioning and indicate that early investment in family care as an alternative to institutional care leads to better adaptive functioning during the transition to adulthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Risk for neurocognitive deficits in sickle cell disease (SCD) is well established, yet minimal research has evaluated the risk for deficits in adaptive functioning. We assessed adaptive functioning in pediatric patients with SCD to test the hypothesis that disease, treatment, and demographic factors were associated with adaptive outcomes. Two hundred fifty-six patients (57% HbSS/HbSß0-thalassemia and 43% HbSC/HbSß+-thalassemia), ages 8-18, received routine neuropsychological assessments as part of a larger prospective lifetime cohort study. Adaptive functioning was measured using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second or Third Edition. Adaptive scores were compared with normative values using t-test or Wilcoxon signed rank test and linear regression models were used to measure associations between adaptive functioning and age, hydroxyurea (HU) use, sickle genotype, and socioeconomic status. Furthermore, we examined the influence of intellectual and executive functioning on adaptive behavior using hierarchical linear regression analyses. Parent ratings of adaptive functioning skills did not differ from normative expectations (all false discovery rate [FDR] adjusted p-value [pFDR] > 0.05). Social vulnerability was negatively associated with adaptive scores on most adaptive scales in both genotypes (pFDR < 0.05). HU treatment was not significantly associated with any adaptive scale. Overall IQ was positively associated with Functional Communication and Leadership only for those with HbSS/HbSß0-thalassemia. Higher parent ratings of executive difficulties were correlated with lower adaptive scores (estimate = -0.64, standard error = 0.051, p < .001). Poorer parent-rated adaptive skills were associated with increased social vulnerability, lower Full-Scale IQ, and parent-rated executive difficulties. Most adaptive scores were in the normal range; however, parent ratings may not fully capture the impact of disease complications and neurocognitive deficits on daily functioning.

&lt;p&gt;Purpose: Research has shown that children who stutter (CWS) demonstrate poor adaptive functioning, or poor functional, social, and psychological skills, when compared to children who do not stutter (CWNS). Previous work has also shown that preschool CWS demonstrate significantly lower effortful control than CWNS. High effortful control, or the ability to inhibit a dominant response, is predictive of high adaptive functioning in children who are exposed to a range of adversities. The purposes of this study were fourfold: (a) to investigate if the differences between preschool CWS and CWNS in effortful control extended to school-aged children; (b) to determine if effortful control could uniquely explain adaptive functioning after controlling for a diagnosis of stuttering; (c) to investigate whether effortful control was more influential to CWS than to CWNS; and (d) to investigate whether effortful control uniquely explained adaptive functioning in CWS after controlling for stuttering frequency.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Methods: Effortful control and seven core areas of adaptive functioning were investigated in 46 school-age CWS and 46 CWNS. Eight independent two tailed t-tests were used to assess whether CWS demonstrated lower effortful control than CWNS and lower adaptive functioning than CWNS in seven adaptive functioning areas: communication competence, peer competence, internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, general anxiety, social anxiety, and depression. Correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine the extent to which each component of adaptive functioning was related to effortful control when controlling for age, intelligence, parent-child relationship, and stuttering group membership. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to assess the extent to which each separate component of adaptive functioning was related to effortful control in CWS only.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Results: CWS demonstrated significantly lower effortful control when measured by the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire (a parent report measure of hot effortful control) than CWNS. CWS also performed more poorly in all aspects of adaptive functioning; however statistical significance was only reached for internalizing behaviors and general anxiety. The hierarchical linear regressions indicated that effortful control predicted the majority of the variance in five areas of adaptive functioning: peer competence, externalizing behaviors, internalizing behaviors, general anxiety, and depression. In the group of CWS, stuttering frequency predicted internalizing behaviors, general anxiety, and social anxiety. However, stuttering was the most important contributor to only one of the seven components of adaptive functioning, social anxiety.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Conclusions: This study with school-aged CWS extends previous work indicating that preschool CWS exhibit lower effortful control than their normally fluent peers. The fact that emotional aspects of effortful control were a stronger predictor of social functioning, internalizing behaviors, and externalizing behaviors than either a stuttering diagnosis or the quantity of stuttering, may explain the adaptive functioning deficits often observed in CWS. Because effortful control is both a powerful contributor to adaptive functioning, and is reduced in CWS, clinical therapy approaches, which boost effortful control skills, have the potential to greatly lessen the impact of stuttering for CWS.&lt;/p&gt;

This study aimed to investigate the gap between adaptive functioning and cognitive functioning, especially verbal and nonverbal intelligence quotient (IQ) in Chinese children with ASD. We systematically explored cognitive functioning, ASD severity, early signs of developmental abnormalities, and socioeconomic factors as mediating factors of adaptive functioning. We enrolled 151 children (age: 2.5?6 years) with ASD and categorized them into one group with IQ ≥70 and another with IQ <70. The two groups were calibrated for age, age at diagnosis, and IQ, and the relationship of adaptive skills with vocabulary acquisition index (VAI) and nonverbal index (NVI) were separately analyzed. Results show that the gap between IQ and adaptive functioning was significant in children with ASD having IQ ≥70, with both VAI and NVI showing statistically significant differences (all P <0.001). VAI correlated positively with scores for overall adaptive skills and specific domains, whereas NVI had no significant correlations with adaptive skill scores. Age of first walking unaided had an independent positive correlation (all P <0.05) with scores of adaptive skills and specific domains. IQ-adaptive functioning gap is significant in children with ASD having IQ ≥70, suggesting that defining "high-functioning autism" merely on the basis of IQ is not appropriate. Verbal IQ and early signs of motor development are specific and possible predictors of adaptive functioning in children with ASD, respectively.