The current study evaluates the concurrent relationship between parent ratings of executive functioning and maladaptive behavior among children and adolescents with Down syndrome and then repeats this evaluation using teacher reports. Parents and teachers of 63 school-age children with Down syndrome rated the child's executive functioning…

This study investigated the effect of a mindfulness-based intervention on pathological symptoms in boys with externalised disorders. A total of 24 elementary school students with externalising disorders, diagnosed by completing the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), were randomly assigned to a mindfulness-based intervention for two months. One…

Irritability and aggression (IA) are highly prevalent in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although clinical correlates of IA in this population have been previously examined, findings from existing studies capturing symptoms as a set of latent variables do not fully explain meaningful associations between the symptoms themselves.…

We investigated what a dyadic framework added to Eisenberg, Cumberland, and Spinrad's (1998) parental emotion socialization model based on the argument that the dynamic organization of emotion in the dyad is more than the sum of its parts and thus makes a unique contribution to emotion socialization. Preschoolers (N = 235) completed challenging…

Identifying correlates of aggressive behavior in children might help to find potential candidates for interventions in aggression reduction. While some previous studies found that children's Theory of Mind (ToM) and inhibitory control (IC) correlate with aggressive behavior, others did not confirm this relation. One explanation for these mixed…

The present study examined the psychometric properties of a brief parent-report daily checklist of toddler behavior (Parent Daily Report--Toddler Version; PDR-T). Data were collected from three groups of 18-36 month-olds who were followed longitudinally for approximately one year: (a) internationally adopted children (N = 156); (b) children placed…

Prior studies have demonstrated successful irritability treatment using dopaminergic antagonists in autistic patients. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the effect of dextromethorphan/quinidine (DM/Q) in autistic adults (18-60 years of age). This was a randomized, blinded, crossover, study of 14 patients randomized to DM/Q or a placebo…

This study examined the reciprocal associations between sleep (duration and quality) and aggressive behavior in toddlers. The sample consisted of 82 children (43 boys and 39 girls) and their parents who completed two assessments, when children were 2 and 3 years old. At both time points, children wore an actigraph for 3 consecutive days to assess…

The Attachment Behavior Checklist is a promising, but unvalidated, measure designed to assess attachment disturbances. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were conducted. Results revealed a 5-factor solution best fit the data. Individual differences in the factors were examined. The Child Behavior Checklist was used to determine…

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), particularly the a7 nAChR, are implicated in the pathophysiology of both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and aggressive behavior. We explored the feasibility, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of targeting nAChRs using transdermal nicotine to reduce aggressive symptoms in adults with ASD. Eight…

Individuals with autism may engage in problem behavior in order to escape aversive stimuli, including various noises. In this study, an 18-year-old young man with autism had a history of engaging in problem behavior to escape aversive noise that was typical to his everyday environment. By using biofeedback, in the form of heart rate measurement,…

Objective: This study examined the prospective relationship from student inattention symptoms to changes in their psychological need satisfaction (PNS) during their transition to secondary school. In doing so, it has explored whether this temporal association was moderated by teachers' involvement (TI). Method: A sample of 688 students (46% male;…

While a considerable number of youth with autism spectrum disorder exhibit impaired self-regulation (dysregulation), little is known about the neural correlates of dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder. In a sample of intellectually able boys with autism spectrum disorder (further categorized as those with and without dysregulation) and…

The aim of this study is to explore how students' reports of proactive aggressiveness and mental health problems are associated with their perception of classroom interaction when controlling for socioeconomic status, gender and grade level. Classroom interaction is understood in terms of teachers' emotional support, monitoring and instructional…

The present study examined, within a longitudinal family-informed design and across middle childhood, the predictive associations between preference for solitude and social wariness, two forms of social withdrawal, and peer difficulties. Specifically, preference for solitude, rather than social wariness, was expected to predict peer victimization…