The purpose of this study is to better understand why a school avoidant student has a difficult time staying attached to a school community. For a school avoidant student, the school environment is too challenging to manage resulting in an emotional and physical disengagement from school. A school avoidant student will seek to protect themselves…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with atypical autonomic nervous system (ANS) function. However, little is known about this relationship, while accounting for co-occurring mental health conditions (e.g. anxiety) that are also associated with ANS dysfunction. In addition, research on the ANS has typically involved physiological…

Objective: Data indicate that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a risk factor for cognitive and attentional vulnerabilities. A vulnerability linked to these impairments is repetitive negative thinking (RNT), and data suggest that RNT and anxiety symptoms may be moderated by attentional control. The current study investigated the effect of…

Anxiety disorders are among the most common co-occurring disorders for individuals with ASD. Several adaptations to cognitive behavioral approaches have been proposed for this population (Moree & Davis, 2010). The current study examined feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an ASD-specific adaptation of one-session treatment (OST) for…

Purpose: Young people with developmental language disorder (DLD) have poorer mental health than those without DLD. However, not all young people with DLD are equally affected; some have more mental health difficulties than others. What explains these differences remains unclear. Method: Data from a community cohort study, the Avon Longitudinal…

This study followed a pre-registered analysis plan with the aim to investigate whether autistic traits and self-compassion are correlated in autistic adults, and to test an indirect effect of autistic traits on anxiety/depression via self-compassion. We present the findings of an online survey of 456 participants (n = 228 autistic adults, n = 228…

Trait anxiety is considered to be a risk factor for anxiety disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate how trait anxiety affects associative learning during and after an aversive event in laboratory rats. For this, rats were first submitted to a light-dark box test, followed by relief, safety, and fear learning. Our data…

Selective mutism (SM) is a rare anxiety disorder that compromises children's daily life during critical periods of early development. Because school is a prime context for the manifestation of the disorder, the aim of this study was to investigate the quality of the student-teacher relationship and its effects on behavior and work, and on social…

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been repeatedly associated with a wide range of physical and mental health issues. Research has indicated high levels of anxiety and depression among university students, and a few studies have documented the relationship between ACEs and anxiety in the university student population. This study surveyed…

As schools began to close in March of 2020, there was a quick transition to online and virtual options to keep students engaged in learning and to protect students from COVID-19. With schools suspending in-person classes, many children stopped engaging in academic instructional activities due to lack of technological resources, school programming,…

Anxiety/obsessive-compulsive disorders are common among youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Two versions of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) are effective, with some advantage for a personalized, adapted version. This study evaluated predictors and moderators of standard CBT and adapted CBT. Youth (N = 167) ages 7-13 were randomized to…

Objective: This study examined whether program climate factors, stressors, demographic, and institutional variables were associated with doctoral students' clinically significant generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder symptoms. Participants: This study examined doctoral students' responses from the gradSERU survey, which was…

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are neuropsychological disorders that can be challenging to students both academically and social-emotionally, especially when they occur together. Students with ASD can have co-occurring OCD, which can complicate social-emotional and academic outcomes. Teachers are in an ideal…

Anxiety is common among students in K-12 schools. Anxious students experience emotion dysregulation as well as cognitive and physical symptoms of anxiety. Such emotional reactivity may cause students to feel overwhelmed and unable to participate effectively in the classroom. Researchers have found positive psychological and physical outcomes…

Previous studies have reported positive correlations between autistic traits and disordered eating, though it is unclear whether the association is moderated by sex/gender or whether it is independent of anxiety or depression. We present the findings of an online survey of 691 participants who completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Hospital…