Underutilization of Genetics Services for Autism: The Importance of Parental Awareness and Provider Recommendation

Reasons for the underutilization of genetics services by families of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are not well understood. We report the identification of factors associated with this underuse. Survey-based study of parents and/or guardians of children with ASD. One hundred fifty-five families completed the questionnaire. Thirty-one of 155 (20%) children had seen a genetics professional. Forty-nine of 154 (32%) children had undergone genetic testing. Parents whose child saw a genetics professional were more likely to 1) Have a primary provider refer for or suggest a genetics evaluation 2) Have asked for a referral, and/or 3) Know another person with a genetic cause of ASD. amilies of children with ASD who have not received genetics services are less aware of their availability and utility. They are also less likely to have their provider recommend a clinical genetics evaluation. Efforts should be taken to increase awareness of both health providers and parents regarding the usefulness of genetics services for ASD.     

Informed Choice in Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing (DTCGT) Websites: A Content Analysis of Benefits,Risks, and Limitations

An informed choice about health-related direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTCGT) requires knowledge of potential benefits, risks, and limitations. To understand the information that potential consumers of DTCGT services are exposed to on company websites, we conducted a content analysis of 23 health-related DTCGT websites. Results revealed that benefit statements outweighed risk and limitation statements 6 to 1. The most frequently described benefits were: 1) disease prevention, 2) consumer education, 3) personalized medical recommendations, and 4) the ability to make health decisions. Thirty-five percent of websites also presented at least one risk of testing. Seventy-eight percent of websites mentioned at least one limitation of testing. Based on this information, potential consumers might get an inaccurate picture of genetic testing which could impact their ability to make an informed decision. Practices that enhance the presentation of balanced information on DTCGT company websites should be encouraged.     

Writing nonsense: the interaction between lexical and sublexical knowledge in the priming of nonword spelling

The task of spelling nonwords to dictation necessarily requires the operation of a sublexical or assembled sound-to-spelling conversion process. We report an experiment that shows a clear lexical priming effect on nonword spelling (e.g., /vi:m/ was spelled as VEME more often following the prime word "theme" and as VEAM more often following "dream"), which was larger for lexically low-probability (or low-contingency) than for common (or high-contingency) spellings. Priming diminished when an unrelated word intervened between the prime word and target nonword and did so more for the production of low- than for high-contingency spellings. We interpret these results within an interactive model of spelling production that proposes feedback from the graphemic level to both the lexical and assembled spelling processes.     

Examining the impact of psychiatric diagnosis and comorbidity on the medical lethality of adolescent suicide attempts

Specific psychiatric diagnoses and comorbidity patterns were examined to determine if they were related to the medical lethality of suicide attempts among adolescents presenting to an urban general hospital (N=375). Bivariate analysis showed that attempters with substance abuse disorders had higher levels of lethality than attempters without substance abuse. Regression results indicated having depression comorbid with any other diagnosis was not associated with medical lethality. However, having a substance abuse disorder was associated with higher suicide attempt lethality, highlighting the importance of substance abuse as a risk factor for lethal suicide attempts in adolescents. This finding stimulates critical thinking around the understanding of suicidal behavior in youth and the development and implementation of treatment strategies for suicidal adolescents with substance abuse disorders.     

Resting EEG in alpha and beta bands predicts individual differences in attentional blink magnitude

Accuracy for a second target (T2) is reduced when it is presented within 500 ms of a first target (T1) in a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) - an attentional blink (AB). There are reliable individual differences in the magnitude of the AB. Recent evidence has shown that the attentional approach that an individual typically adopts during a task or in anticipation of a task, as indicated by various measures, predicts individual differences in the AB deficit. It has yet to be observed whether indices of attentional approach when not engaged in a goal-directed task are also relevant to individual differences in the AB. The current studies investigated individual differences in the AB by examining their relationship with attention at rest using quantitative measures of EEG. Greater levels of alpha at rest were associated with larger AB magnitudes, where greater levels of beta at rest were associated with smaller AB magnitudes. Furthermore, individuals with more beta than alpha demonstrated a smaller AB effect than individuals with more alpha than beta. Our results suggest that greater attentional engagement at rest, when not engaged in a goal-directed task, is associated with smaller AB magnitudes.     

Counseling in Zimbabwe: History,Current Status,and Future Trends

Counseling in Zimbabwe has a long tradition, dating back to pre‐Colonial times. In the modern context, counseling has evolved through the educational and health care sectors. Since the 1990s, Zimbabwean counselors have advocated for professional recognition, a struggle similar to that of counselors in the United States. In this article, the authors provide a historical view of counseling in Zimbabwe, discuss the current status of and future trends in counseling, and make recommendations for the advancement of the profession.     

Comparability of Self‐Reported Conscientiousness Across 21 Countries

In cross‐national studies, mean levels of self‐reported phenomena are often not congruent with more objective criteria. One prominent explanation for such findings is that people make self‐report judgements in relation to culture‐specific standards (often called the reference group effect), thereby undermining the cross‐cultural comparability of the judgements. We employed a simple method called anchoring vignettes in order to test whether people from 21 different countries have varying standards for Conscientiousness, a Big Five personality trait that has repeatedly shown unexpected nation‐level relationships with external criteria. Participants rated their own Conscientiousness and that of 30 hypothetical persons portrayed in short vignettes. The latter type of ratings was expected to reveal individual differences in standards of Conscientiousness. The vignettes were rated relatively similarly in all countries, suggesting no substantial culture‐related differences in standards for Conscientiousness. Controlling for the small differences in standards did not substantially change the rankings of countries on mean self‐ratings or the predictive validities of these rankings for objective criteria. These findings are not consistent with mean self‐rated Conscientiousness scores being influenced by culture‐specific standards. The technique of anchoring vignettes can be used in various types of studies to assess the potentially confounding effects of reference levels. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Qualitative Exploration of Sleep Habits and Intervention Needs Among Youth with Cystic Fibrosis

Evidence suggests that individuals with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) experience difficulties with sleep architecture and hygiene, although research is limited. There are currently no behavioral sleep interventions for youth with CF. The current study used qualitative methods to understand sleep needs and concerns among youth with CF, as well as to obtain feedback about potentially useful behavioral sleep intervention strategies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with youth with CF between the ages of 11–17 and their parents. Themes were extracted from the data and will be used to inform the development of a brief behavioral sleep intervention for youth with CF. Youth and their parents described several CF-specific sleep concerns, often related to respiratory symptoms, and a number of strategies used to manage these concerns. They also described concerns that apply to the general population, including pervasive use of technology around bedtime. Many evidence-based behavioral sleep intervention strategies are acceptable to youth with CF, although modifications are appropriate to reduce time burden and address CF-specific needs. Youth with CF experience a number of disease-specific and more generalized sleep concerns which are likely amenable to behavioral intervention. Results from this study will be used to inform the development of a brief behavioral sleep intervention for youth with CF.

     

Intolerance of Uncertainty and Health-Related Anxiety in Youth amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Understanding and Weathering the Continuing Storm

The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health crisis that continues to impact individuals worldwide. While children may be less susceptible to severe medical complications, they are nonetheless vulnerable to stress and anxiety associated with the pandemic. However, current understanding of psychological functioning and potential strategies to mitigate distress amid a pandemic is naturally limited. Consequently, this article is an attempt to fill that gap. Existing literature on pandemics, health-related anxieties, intolerance of uncertainty, and psychopathological sequelae is summarized within the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. Conclusions from the empirical data and emerging theoretical models are reviewed and synthesized. Finally, several potentially engaging and effective examples of developmentally appropriate interventions targeting intolerance of uncertainty and health-related anxieties in pediatric patients during the peri- and post-pandemic periods are described.

     

The Role of Students’ Attitudes and Test-Taking Motivation on the Validity of College Institutional Accountability Tests: A Path Analytic Model

Given worldwide prevalence of low-stakes testing for monitoring educational quality and students’ progress through school (e.g., Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, Program for International Student Assessment), interpretability of resulting test scores is of global concern. The nonconsequential nature of low-stakes tests can undermine students’ test-taking motivation, artificially deflating performance and thus jeopardizing validity of test-based inferences, whether they pertain to programs, institutions, or nations (Eklöf, 2007, 2010; Stanat & Lüdtke, 2013; Wise & DeMars, 2005). Moreover, students in countries such as the United States, where academic progress over the course of K–12 (kindergarten through Grade 12) is systematically assessed, are likely to develop antagonistic attitudes toward low-stakes testing by the time they enter college. The relationship between such attitudes, test-taking motivation, and performance on a low-stakes university accountability test was modeled via path analysis. Results indicated the effects of attitudes were indirect (via test-taking motivation) and minimal, suggesting the influence of attitudes on test performance is negligible, further supporting the validity of inferences made from such low-stakes tests. Implications for international assessment are discussed.