Elementary school students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are likely to experience social difficulties and challenges with peer relationships (e.g., victimization, rejection, isolation, and negative peer influence). A particularly salient influence on students' classroom-based social experiences is how they are…

Early preventive interventions can improve outcomes in childhood, but the most effective interventions can continue to deliver benefits through the life course. The Fast Track intervention, a randomized controlled trial for children at risk of conduct problems, has lowered psychopathology, substance use problems, and criminality and elevated…

Introduction: Children of parents with mental health concerns are at-risk for social-emotional problems. In this study, we assessed whether children with a mild intellectual disability and parents with mental health concerns are particularly at-risk. Method: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) reports of children with a mild…

Executive function (EF), a set of neurocognitive processes, is central to students' emotional and behavioral well-being. Despite students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) being at risk for negative long-term outcomes, there is a paucity of EF research with students at risk for EBD in early elementary school, an important…

Investigating the risk factors associated with bullying and victimisation in Ireland is important for understanding the individual and environmental conditions in which these actions emerge, and for informing the design of preventative programmes in childhood and adolescence. The aim of this systematic review is to identify studies which, over the…

This study examined bidirectional relations between television exposure and effortful control accounting for the effects of family contextual risk factors. Data were from a sample (N = 306) of parents and their preschool-age children (T1 M = 36 mos. in 2008-2010) assessed four times, once every 9 mos. At T1, adolescent parent status predicted…

Substance use disorders are considered externalizing disorders, defined by anti-social and impulsive behavior, as opposed to internalizing disorders, defined by anxious and depressive thinking; however, that strict binary is increasingly untenable. In this dissertation, I evaluate the co-development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms…

Autism spectrum disorder and anxiety are highly comorbid conditions. Understanding the underlying traits of anxiety in autism spectrum disorder is crucial to prevent and treat it efficiently. Hence, this study determined whether social communication difficulties or restricted repetitive behaviors are stronger risk factors for anxiety symptoms in…

Purpose: Early language difficulties are associated with later internalizing problems across different ages and for different aspects of language. The mechanisms behind this association are, however, less understood. In the current study, we investigated longitudinal associations between language difficulties at 5 years and internalizing problems…

Understanding the cognitive and emotional mechanisms that link autistic traits and risk for suicide is a vital next step for research and clinical practice. This study included a broad sample of adult women (n = 74) who report finding social situations confusing and/or exhausting, and who score high on measures of autistic traits. Regardless of…

This study examined the association of students' life satisfaction with mental health risk and perceptions of school functioning (academic and social functioning). Participants were 1348 students (53.5% female) enrolled in grades 4 to 12 in a predominantly non-Latino white and middle-upper class public school district in the northeastern USA.…

Early language skills and prosocial behavior contribute to positive outcomes across the lifespan. Screening has improved the identification and early intervention (EI) for children with hearing loss, autism spectrum disorders, and genetically based disabilities. However, many children with significant functional impairments in language and…

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder are more likely than typically developing individuals to experience a range of gastrointestinal abnormalities, including chronic diarrhea, constipation, food sensitivities, and abdominal pain. These gastrointestinal symptoms have been associated with higher levels of irritability and aggressive behavior,…

Research Findings: Children that experience neglect are at risk for maladaptive outcomes. One potential resource for these children is early childhood education (ECE), but there is currently limited evidence which is compounded by data limitations. This study used data from the National Study of Child and Adolescent Well-being II (N = 1,385) to…

This study aimed to identify determinants of a late autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, including diagnoses made 'very late' (i.e., in adolescence), using the Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative population-based cohort in the United Kingdom. Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder by age 14 (N = 581) were included and…