No description available.

No description available.

The preschool years are a critical time for the development of emotion regulation, which is vital for children’s intellectual and social growth. Children with behavior problems are at particular risk of developing poor regulatory skills. Understanding factors underlying emotion dysregulation in children with behavior problems is therefore important for fostering children’s emotional development. Although theory and research suggest executive function may be important in this regard, its role among children at-risk for emotion dysregulation remains unclear. The goal of the current study was to examine whether executive function predicted trajectories of emotion dysregulation from age 3 to age 5 among children with behavior problems. This study focused on 199 3-year-old children with behavior problems who took part in a larger longitudinal study. Results revealed that response inhibition and working memory were not predictive of later emotion dysregulation. However, children who exhibited worse delay of gratification at ages 3 and 4 had greater symptoms of externalizing emotion dysregulation at age 5. In addition, children who made more omission errors on a test of attentional control at ages 3 and 4 exhibited greater externalizing emotion dysregulation at age 5. Gender differences emerged on two measures of delay of gratification and one measure of attentional control. Results suggest that specific facets of executive function may play an important role in difficulties with emotion dysregulation across the preschool years and that this pattern may differ across boys and girls.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that presents many challenges for parents and providers while impacting a child's developmental trajectory across several domains, including disruptive behaviors. Unfortunately, due to limited access and affordability of care, especially during the pandemic or other situations that require people to stay at home, in-person services are not always feasible. Rural or underserved communities may face additional barriers, such as geographic isolation and lack of ASD resources. Accessibility of ASD treatment may be expanded through telehealth supports, such as mobile applications. When implementing these supports for autistic children, decreasing child problem behaviors while improving parent stress, knowledge, and competence is crucial. The current study investigated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a behavior consultation mobile application, Treks, to improve telehealth support for 26 parents (male = 2) of autistic children (3-13 years). Participants were randomly assigned to a one-session telehealth consultation with 1) the enhancement of the Treks app over the course of one month (TH) or 2) with access to mobile resources comparable to Treks for one month (CC). They were then administered measures at baseline, pre-Treks, and post-Treks to assess changes in parenting stress, knowledge, competence, and child behaviors as well as feasibility metrics. Results indicated that the mobile app was received positively across groups, showing significant improvement in participants enrolled in the TH group from pre- to post-Treks on parenting and child outcomes, in addition to moderate to high satisfaction. Future directions should examine the use of mobile supports to supplement parent training consultations for caregivers of autistic children who present with a range of behavioral difficulties. / Doctor of Philosophy / Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents with many challenges for parents and providers. Unfortunately, due to limited access and affordability of care, especially during the pandemic or other situations that require people to stay at home, in-person services are not always feasible. Rural or underserved communities may face additional barriers, such as geographic isolation and lack of ASD resources. Accessibility of ASD treatment can include telehealth (e.g., mobile applications), and should focus on decreasing child problem behaviors while improving parent stress, knowledge, and competence. The current study investigated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a behavior consultation mobile application, known as Treks, to improve telehealth support for 26 parents of autistic children (3-13 years). Participants were randomly assigned to a one-session telehealth consultation with access to 1) Treks for one month (TH) or 2) mobile resources comparable to Treks for one month (CC). They were then administered measures at baseline, pre-Treks, and post-Treks to assess changes in parenting stress, knowledge, competence, and child behaviors as well as feasibility. Results indicated that the mobile app was received positively across groups, showing significant improvement in participants enrolled in the TH group from pre- to post-Treks on parenting and child outcomes, in addition to moderate to high satisfaction. Future research should examine the use of mobile apps to supplement parent training for caregivers of autistic children who present with a range of behavioral difficulties.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Jared R. Anderson / Sandra M. Stith / Adoption trends have shifted in the past two decades and as a result, could impact established assumptions about behavior problems among adopted children. A comprehensive meta-analysis was published in 2005 attempting to come to more definitive conclusions regarding adoption behavior and moderators of adoption behavior. However, the study used a sample from over a dozen countries over a 44 year span. This study is a meta-analysis that has replicated many of the questions investigated by the previous analysis with a much more recent 15 year sample of adoptees placed only within the United States. The results show that combined international and domestic adoptee samples, as well as separate international and domestic adoptee samples are more likely to have total, externalizing, and internalizing behavior problems than their non-adopted counterparts. In addition, age at time of assessment, gender of adoptees, and length of time spent with adoptive family may moderate some of the behavior problems experienced by adoptees. Pre-adoptive adversity, age at time of assessment, and study quality were not shown to have moderating influence on behavior of adoptees.

<p>Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka om det finns ett samband mellan opredicerbara föräldrar och förekomsten av både interna och externa beteendeproblem hos ungdomar. I studien undersöks interna beteendeproblem såsom låg självkänsla och depression samt de externa beteendeproblemen brottslighet och aggression. Studien baseras på 1018 ungdomar i åldrarna 13- 15 år. Studien utgår från en enkätundersökning där fem olika skalor används för att mäta ungdomarnas självkänsla, depression, brottslighet och aggression samt hur konsekventa deras föräldrar är. Resultaten visar i allt väsentligt att de ungdomar som har både interna och externa beteendeproblem är de som rapporterar högst i opredicerbarhet hos sina föräldrar.</p> / <p>The purpose with this study is to investigate if there is an association between unpredictable parents and the occurrence of both internal and external behavior problems among adolescents. The study considers the internalizing behavior problems low self-esteem and depression and the externalizing behavior problems delinquency and aggression. The study consists of 1018 adolescents in ages between 13 and 15 years old. The study is based on a questionnaire where five scales are used to measure the participating adolescent’s self-esteem, depression, delinquency and aggression and their view on how consistent their parents are. The result shows that those adolescents who have both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems where those who reported highest in unpredictability in their parents.</p>

<p>Various aspects of elementary school children's behavior problems were investigated in four studies. In Study I, teachers’ perceived low control over the classroom situation and a custodial teacher orientation were associated with teachers' (n = 86) preferences for authoritarian strategies (e.g., firm commands) in handling externalizing child behavior problems. Further, perceived high control and a humanistic teacher orientation were associated with non-authoritarian strategies (e.g., reasoning with students). In Study II, the aim was to investigate prospectively teacher-child interactions and teacher-child perceptions of the relationship between children with externalizing (n=26) and internalizing (n=25) behavior problems and unproblematic children (n=44) in the first grade. Children with behavior problems had a higher frequency of negative teacher relationships than unproblematic children. Observed conflictual children-teacher interactions contributed to negative teacher relationships independent of problem status. The moderating effects of social competence were small. In Study III, the principal aim was to investigate whether the children’s social competence, relationships with teachers and behavior with peers functioned as protective or exacerbating factors regarding the adaptation of children with behavior problems. Children with externalizing and internalizing behavior problems, in comparison with unproblematic children, were lower in social competence, school achievement and peer acceptance in sixth grade. There were moderating and independent effects of social competence and teacher and peer relationships on outcomes, but these were mainly restricted to those children with internalizing problems. The primary aim of Study IV was to investigate the social and school adjustment of six-grade children experiencing feelings of loneliness and low peer acceptance. Totally, 808 children participated, and 323 of these children had been followed from grade 1 to grade 6. The results indicated that loneliness was most strongly predicted by early internalizing problems, whereas poor acceptance was predicted by early externalizing problems and poor social competence. Associations between loneliness and low peer acceptance and other adjustment difficulties were also observed. In conclusion, children with behavior problems risk negative relationships as well as other adjustment problems. Early interventions are important in strengthening the protective factors.</p>

Various aspects of elementary school children's behavior problems were investigated in four studies. In Study I, teachers’ perceived low control over the classroom situation and a custodial teacher orientation were associated with teachers' (n = 86) preferences for authoritarian strategies (e.g., firm commands) in handling externalizing child behavior problems. Further, perceived high control and a humanistic teacher orientation were associated with non-authoritarian strategies (e.g., reasoning with students). In Study II, the aim was to investigate prospectively teacher-child interactions and teacher-child perceptions of the relationship between children with externalizing (n=26) and internalizing (n=25) behavior problems and unproblematic children (n=44) in the first grade. Children with behavior problems had a higher frequency of negative teacher relationships than unproblematic children. Observed conflictual children-teacher interactions contributed to negative teacher relationships independent of problem status. The moderating effects of social competence were small. In Study III, the principal aim was to investigate whether the children’s social competence, relationships with teachers and behavior with peers functioned as protective or exacerbating factors regarding the adaptation of children with behavior problems. Children with externalizing and internalizing behavior problems, in comparison with unproblematic children, were lower in social competence, school achievement and peer acceptance in sixth grade. There were moderating and independent effects of social competence and teacher and peer relationships on outcomes, but these were mainly restricted to those children with internalizing problems. The primary aim of Study IV was to investigate the social and school adjustment of six-grade children experiencing feelings of loneliness and low peer acceptance. Totally, 808 children participated, and 323 of these children had been followed from grade 1 to grade 6. The results indicated that loneliness was most strongly predicted by early internalizing problems, whereas poor acceptance was predicted by early externalizing problems and poor social competence. Associations between loneliness and low peer acceptance and other adjustment difficulties were also observed. In conclusion, children with behavior problems risk negative relationships as well as other adjustment problems. Early interventions are important in strengthening the protective factors.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka om det finns ett samband mellan opredicerbara föräldrar och förekomsten av både interna och externa beteendeproblem hos ungdomar. I studien undersöks interna beteendeproblem såsom låg självkänsla och depression samt de externa beteendeproblemen brottslighet och aggression. Studien baseras på 1018 ungdomar i åldrarna 13- 15 år. Studien utgår från en enkätundersökning där fem olika skalor används för att mäta ungdomarnas självkänsla, depression, brottslighet och aggression samt hur konsekventa deras föräldrar är. Resultaten visar i allt väsentligt att de ungdomar som har både interna och externa beteendeproblem är de som rapporterar högst i opredicerbarhet hos sina föräldrar. / The purpose with this study is to investigate if there is an association between unpredictable parents and the occurrence of both internal and external behavior problems among adolescents. The study considers the internalizing behavior problems low self-esteem and depression and the externalizing behavior problems delinquency and aggression. The study consists of 1018 adolescents in ages between 13 and 15 years old. The study is based on a questionnaire where five scales are used to measure the participating adolescent’s self-esteem, depression, delinquency and aggression and their view on how consistent their parents are. The result shows that those adolescents who have both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems where those who reported highest in unpredictability in their parents.

Objective: Efficient identification and referral to behavioral services are crucial in addressing early-onset disruptive behavior problems. Existing screening instruments for preschoolers are not ideal for pediatric primary care settings serving diverse populations. Eighteen candidate items for a new brief screening instrument were examined to identify those exhibiting measurement bias (i.e., differential item functioning, DIF) by child characteristics. Method: Parents/guardians of preschool-aged children (N = 900) from four primary care settings completed two full-length behavioral rating scales. Items measuring disruptive behavior problems were tested for DIF by child race, sex, and socioeconomic status using two approaches: item response theory-based likelihood ratio tests and ordinal logistic regression. Results: Of 18 items, eight were identified with statistically significant DIF by at least one method. Conclusions: The bias observed in 8 of 18 items made them undesirable for screening diverse populations of children. These items were excluded from the new brief screening tool.