Poverty as a predictor of 4-year-olds' executive function: new perspectives on models of differential susceptibility

Prenatal risk factors for child executive function at 3-5 years of age: the roles of maternal mood, substance use, and socioeconomic adversity in a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

A growing body of literature links prenatal mood and substance use to children's cognitive and behavioral development. The relative contribution of these risk factors on children's executive function (EF) in the context of socioeconomic adversities needs further evaluation. To address this gap, we investigated the role of prenatal maternal anxiety and depression on childhood EF, specifically inhibitory control and working memory, within the context of socioeconomic adversities and prenatal substance use. We hypothesized that higher maternal mood symptoms, higher persistent prenatal drinking and smoking, and lower socioeconomic status would be associated with lower EF skills during early childhood.

METHODS

We used data from 334 mother-child dyads followed prospectively through pregnancy and the offspring's childhood. Prenatal maternal depression and anxiety were assessed via standardized questionnaires. Prenatal alcohol and tobacco consumption were assessed via a timeline follow-back interview. The EF touch battery assessed child inhibitory control and working memory at 3-5 years of age (4.76 ± 0.58 years, 171 females). Separate linear regression models were used to estimate the association of prenatal tobacco, alcohol, anxiety, and depression exposure with our two components of child EF, inhibitory control and working memory, while adjusting for gestational age, sex, and age at assessment. The following variables were also included as covariates: maternal educational achievement, employment status, parity, and household crowding index.

RESULTS

Children of mothers with high trait anxiety scores had reduced inhibitory control compared to children of mothers without trait anxiety or depression (β = -0.12, 95% CI:-0.22,-0.01). Children of mothers in the moderate to high continuous smoking group showed lower inhibitory control (β = - 0.19, 95% CI:-0.38,-0.01) compared to children of mothers in the none smoking group. Additionally, lower maternal education and higher household crowding were each associated with reduced inhibitory control. We found no significant association between prenatal maternal depression, anxiety, or socioeconomic factors with working memory.

CONCLUSIONS

These results underscore the need for comprehensive context-specific intervention packages, including mental health support for women to promote healthy inhibitory control development in children.

The effects of working memory training on working memory, self-regulation, and analogical reasoning of preschool children

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

This study examined the effects of working memory training (WMT) on WM and fluid intelligence. A novel four-pronged model of mediated learning, cognitive functions, task characteristics and metacognition is presented as a conceptual basis for the Modifiability of a Working Memory Program (MWMP). Our basic assumption is that increasing WM depends on a synchronized combination of the four components.

SAMPLE

A group of typically developed preschool children (n = 62) participated in the experimental group, receiving the MWMP. They were compared with a control group (n = 56) of preschool children who engaged in a substitute program. This comparison allowed us to discern the specific effects of the MWMP.

METHODS

All participants received tests of WM, self-regulation and analogical reasoning before and after the intervention. The MWMP was administered to children in the experimental group for 10 weekly sessions, each lasting 40 minutes, in small groups of two children. The children in the control group engaged in didactic activities that were part of a school curriculum routine for kindergartners for the same length of time.

RESULTS

We used ANCOVA analysis to compare the Treatment x Time with age and socioeconomic status as covariates. The findings revealed a higher improvement in some WM and self-regulation tests among children in the experimental group compared to those in the control group. However, no significant transfer effects were observed in analogical thinking.

CONCLUSION

The findings confirm the effectiveness of a non-computerized WMT among kindergartners and support our four-pronged theoretical model. We also discuss earlier findings on far-transfer effects and educational implications. We suggest that future WM studies adopt the following: (1) the development of training methods that are theoretically anchored; (2) training procedures should not rely heavily on computerized exercises but can be adapted to group characteristics, educational settings and cost-effectiveness aspects; (3) varying the task characteristics and training strategies to stimulate task-intrinsic motivation; (4) identifying training strategies to produce cognitive improvements underlying WM; (5) intervention should target individuals in early development as much as possible; (6) development of training procedures that facilitate motivation; and (7) providing empirical evidence of far-transfer effects for WM training. The empirical evidence should link gains in WM capacity and achievements in academic and other life domains.

Risk and Protective Factors for Executive Function in Vulnerable South African Preschool-Age Children

Executive function (EF) theory and research continues to under-represent the contexts in which the majority of the world's children reside, despite their potential to support, refute, or refine our current understandings. The current study sought to contribute to our understanding of EF in low-income settings in South Africa by investigating longitudinal associations of context-specific risk and protective factors for EF development in three- to five-year-old children who had limited access to ECCE services before the age of five. Child-caregiver dyads (N = 171) participated in two rounds of data collection (approximately seven months apart) during which child EF was assessed using the Early Years Toolbox; context-specific risk and protective factors were assessed through a caregiver questionnaire. Hierarchical linear regressions revealed that after controlling for age, attending ECCE services at time 2 (β = 0.30, p < 0.001), and diversity of caregivers at time 1 (β = 0.14, p = 0.041) were the only factors positively associated with EF at time 2. Other factors commonly associated with EF such as caregiver education, and household income were not significant, while resources in the home were significantly associated with EF (β = -0.18, p = 0.007) but in the opposite direction to what was expected. These results add to accumulating evidence that predictors of EF established in Minority World contexts may not be consistent across contexts, emphasising the need to broaden the EF evidence base. For instance, future studies could incorporate qualitative and ethnographic methods to better capture the cultural and contextual nuances relating to EF, to better inform our statistical and theoretical models.

The mediating role of child delay of gratification in the link between early and prolonged poverty exposure and adolescent allostatic load

Early and prolonged exposure to poverty disrupts biological processes associated with the body's stress response system, leading to long-term negative health outcomes, including obesity, autoimmune disorders, and cardiovascular disease. Allostatic load (AL), a composite measure of chronic stress on the body, is a robust predictor of subsequent health outcomes. However, developmental research examining the associations of early poverty exposure with AL in adolescence, as well as the underlying mechanisms of influence is limited. Early poverty exposure also impedes healthy development of child self-regulation, which may increase risk for high AL in adolescence, but this mechanistic pathway has not yet been tested. We used data from the national Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) to examine the longitudinal associations between prolonged poverty exposure in early childhood (0-3 years) and AL in adolescence (age 15). We also tested the mediating role of child delay of gratification, a behavioral measure of self-regulation (at age 54 months), in the potential association between early poverty exposure and adolescent AL. Accounting for model covariates (i.e., child biological sex and race-ethnicity) and individual differences in child delay of gratification, early and prolonged poverty exposure was significantly associated with higher AL at age 15. The indirect effect through child delay of gratification was not significant, but the individual pathways of the indirect effect were significant, and the overall direct association of early poverty exposure with adolescent AL was significant. Our findings show that prolonged exposure to poverty in early childhood (0-3 years) can have significant negative associations with both child delay of gratification (at 54 months) and AL (at age 15). Given that the detrimental impacts of poverty exposure can be detected at an early age, targeted prevention efforts (e.g., anti-poverty programs such as cash assistance programs) may be able to offset some of the risks of early poverty exposure on self-regulation and AL.

[Formula: see text] Environmental predictors of children's executive functioning development

Executive functioning (EF) abilities develop through childhood, but this development can be impacted by various psychosocial environmental influences. Using longitudinal data from the Health Outcome and Measures of the Environment (HOME) Study, a prospective pregnancy and birth cohort study, we examined if psychosocial environmental factors were significant predictors of EF development. Study participants comprised 271 children and their primary caregivers (98.5% mothers) followed from birth to age 12. We identified four distinct EF developmental trajectory groups comprising a consistently impaired group (13.3%), a descending impairment group (27.7%), an ascending impairment group (9.95%), and a consistently not impaired group (49.1%). Higher levels of maternal ADHD and relational frustration appear to be risk factors for increased EF difficulty over time, while higher family income may serve as a protective factor delaying predisposed EF impairment. Important intervention targets might include teaching positive and effective parenting strategies to mothers whose children are at risk for EF dysfunction.

Contributions of preschool behavioral self-regulation and social skills to growth in different domains of early math knowledge

The current study explored the relative contribution of individual differences in children's behavioral self-regulation and social skills (often referred to as learning-related skills) in the fall of preschool to children's rate of growth in different domains of early math knowledge through the spring of kindergarten. Participants were 684 children (Mage = 57.6 months, SD = 3.8, at Time 1 [fall of preschool]; 48% female; 43% Black, 32% White, 13% Latine, 11% multiracial, and 1% Asian). All children were from families with low incomes and lived in the midwestern United States. The math domains of informal numeracy, formal numeracy, and math language were assessed at four time points: fall and spring of preschool and fall and spring of kindergarten. Contrary to expectations, we did not find that either learning-related skill positively predicted rate of growth in math knowledge or observe differential relations by math domain. Rather, the relative contribution of behavioral self-regulation and social skills in the fall of preschool to rate of growth in math knowledge followed similar patterns across all math domains: an early advantage for children with higher initial social skills that stayed consistent over time (i.e., a nonsignificant slope effect) and an early advantage for children with higher initial behavioral self-regulation that diminished over time (i.e., a negative slope effect).

Early adverse childhood experiences and preschoolers' attentional regulation: A latent class analysis

BACKGROUND

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) profoundly disrupt preschoolers' attentional regulation development. Different patterns of ACEs may be associated with different attentional regulation outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

Drawing from developmental systems theory and attachment theory, this study aimed to identify distinct patterns of early ACEs at age three and examined the associations of these patterns with preschoolers' attentional regulation at age five.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

This study used the two waves of longitudinal data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4457).

METHODS

First, this study applied latent class analysis (LCA) across nine indicators of ACEs at age three. Second, class membership was examined for associations with preschoolers' attentional regulation at age five.

RESULTS

LCA identified four latent classes of ACEs: separation (41.2 %), parental incarceration (33 %), family dysfunction (20.8 %), and child abuse (5 %). Children in the child abuse class exhibited lower levels of attentional regulation than those in the family dysfunction class (0.33 standard deviation difference, p < .01) or separation class (0.48 standard deviation difference, p < .001). Children in the parental incarceration class demonstrated lower levels of attentional regulation than those in the separation class (0.63 standard deviation difference, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide implications for the need to prevent early child abuse and incorporate trauma-informed intervention programs to support preschoolers' attentional regulation during school-entry age.

Attention network training promotes selective attention of children with low socioeconomic status

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the difference of selective attention efficiency between children with low and high socioeconomic status (SES) and the promotional effect of attention network training (an attention network test was used as the training task) on selective attention in children with the low SES. A total of 139 10- to 12-year-old children participated in two experiments (71 in Experiment 1 and 68 in Experiment 2). The results suggest that selective attention and switch ability of children with high SES are better than those of children with low SES. After attention network training, selective attention, switch ability, and working memory of low-SES children improved significantly. The findings provide evidence that attention network training could enhance selective attention in low-SES children and that the beneficial training effect could also transfer to switch ability and working memory. The research may provide a promising method to compensate cognitive delay of low-SES children.

Sitting Less for Success: Reducing Sedentary Behaviors to Increase Kindergarten Achievement

BACKGROUND

Physical activity (PA) improves outcomes, but disadvantaged children typically experience more sedentary behavior (SB). This study explored movement, executive function (EF) health, and academic achievement (AA) for economically disadvantaged kindergarteners.

METHODS

Children in 2 classrooms (n = 16; n = 7) wore wrist-based accelerometers to assess PA/SB during the school day. Independent t-tests and analysis of variance analyzed mean group differences in PA/SB and EF/AA, and correlations explored AA and EF associations.

RESULTS

The movement-based class spent significantly less time in SB compared to the contemporary class (t = 2.552, g = 1.115), made greater reading (t = -2.611) and math (t = .967) gains, and had better EF (t = .012). There were significant negative correlations between SB and math (r = -.534) and reading (r = -.592), but no significant relationships with EF.

IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY

Schools should consider methods to decrease time spent in SB at lower-SES schools, which is financially feasible and less time-consuming than programs to increase PA.

CONCLUSION

Decreased SB time was associated with better AA. More research is needed to determine whether interventions to decrease time spent in SB at school improve academic outcomes in disadvantaged children.

Cognitive stimulation as a mechanism linking socioeconomic status and neural function supporting working memory: a longitudinal fMRI study

Childhood experiences of low socioeconomic status are associated with alterations in neural function in the frontoparietal network and ventral visual stream, which may drive differences in working memory. However, the specific features of low socioeconomic status environments that contribute to these disparities remain poorly understood. Here, we examined experiences of cognitive deprivation (i.e. decreased variety and complexity of experience), as opposed to experiences of threat (i.e. violence exposure), as a potential mechanism through which family income contributes to alterations in neural activation during working memory. As part of a longitudinal study, 148 youth between aged 10 and 13 years completed a visuospatial working memory fMRI task. Early childhood low income, chronicity of low income in early childhood, and current income-to-needs were associated with task-related activation in the ventral visual stream and frontoparietal network. The association of family income with decreased activation in the lateral occipital cortex and intraparietal sulcus during working memory was mediated by experiences of cognitive deprivation. Surprisingly, however, family income and deprivation were not significantly related to working memory performance, and only deprivation was associated with academic achievement in this sample. Taken together, these findings suggest that early life low income and associated cognitive deprivation are important factors in neural function supporting working memory.

Reaching "The Other Half": Teacher Referral Increases Inclusivity in Intervention Research for Neurodivergent School-Age Children

OBJECTIVE

Researchers employed two recruitment strategies in a school-based comparative effectiveness trial for students with a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism. This study assessed the: 1) effectiveness of school-based referrals for identifying students meeting diagnostic criteria and 2) impact of eliminating requirements for existing diagnoses on recruitment, sample characteristics, and intervention response.

METHOD

Autistic students and students with ADHD in schools serving underresourced communities were recruited for an executive functioning (EF) intervention trial over 2 years. In Year 1, school staff nominated students with previous diagnoses. In Year 2, school staff nominated students demonstrating EF challenges associated with ADHD or autism; previous diagnosis was not required. Study staff then confirmed diagnoses.

RESULTS

More students were included in Year 2 (N = 106) than Year 1 (N = 37). In Year 2, 96% of students referred by school staff met diagnostic criteria for ADHD or autism, 53% of whom were not previously diagnosed. Newly identified students were less likely than previously diagnosed students to be receiving services and, for those with ADHD, were more likely to speak primarily Spanish at home. Previously diagnosed and newly identified students did not differ on other demographic variables or intervention response. Caregivers of previously diagnosed students reported more symptoms than caregivers of newly identified students for both diagnostic groups. Previously diagnosed students with ADHD had more researcher-rated symptoms than newly identified students.

CONCLUSIONS

Recruitment for an intervention study using behavior-based referrals from school staff enhanced enrollment without compromising the sample's diagnostic integrity and engaged children who otherwise would have been excluded.

The Moderating Role of Cortisol and Negative Emotionality in the Effects of Classroom Size and Window View on Young Children's Executive Functions

This study probed how baseline cortisol (BC), negative emotionality (NE), and environmental facets-classroom size and window view-interact to affect executive function (EF) in preschoolers using virtual reality (VR). In a cohort of 144 children aged 61-85 months, BC levels were measured by saliva assays and NE by parental surveys. Participants completed computerized EF assessments both pre- and post-exposure to one of four VR conditions, which varied by classroom size (large vs. small) and window view (natural vs. built). Due to missing data and outlier responses, three children were removed from the analyses. Regression analyses, accounting for initial EFs, revealed that higher BC was significantly associated with better Digit-span task scores in the nature view, while lower BC correlated with improved performance in the built view. With regard to classroom size, children with varying levels of NE benefitted from the large classroom environment, as evidenced by marginally significant improvements on the Corsi block task. However, higher NE children outperformed their lower NE peers in the large classroom, while a trend inverted in the small classroom context. The findings illuminate how the physical components of preschool environments may interact with children's physiological reactivity, potentially influencing the development of working memory.

The Longitudinal Contributions of Preschool Executive Functions and Early Math Abilities to Arithmetic Skills in Elementary School

Executive functions (EFs) are linked to children's overall math performance, although few studies have considered the joint role of prior math abilities for specific math subskills, such as arithmetic. The current study examined the longitudinal contributions of preschool EFs and early math abilities to children's accuracy and reaction time on arithmetic problems. Two hundred and eighty-three children completed EF and numeracy assessments at 5.25 years old. Children completed an arithmetic problem task in first (Mage = 7.14), second (Mage = 8.09), and third grade (Mage = 9.08). Results indicated that preschool EFs and math abilities are uniquely linked to children's accuracy and reaction time at age 7, whereas preschool EFs alone continue to predict accuracy at age 8 and reaction time at age 9, even after accounting for intervening arithmetic performance. The study highlights the sustained, unique importance of early EFs for children's arithmetic acquisition.

Biological, behavioral, and social correlates of executive function in low-income preschoolers: Insights from the perspective of the networks

Behavioral, biological, and social correlates may be related to the association between executive function (EF) and physical activity (PA), when considering such variables as an integrated and non-linear system. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships between EF, PA and associated correlates in low-income preschoolers according to a network perspective. Thus, 142 preschoolers of both sexes, age 3-to-5-years-old (51% girls) were analyzed. Light, moderate and vigorous PA, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), body mass index, family income, preterm birth, presence of siblings, presence of other children at home and the child's primary caregiver were assessed. Our results showed that EF was positively associated with age (b = 0.47), child's primary caregivers (b = 0.37), moderate PA (b = 0.30) and CRF (b = 0.25). Negative associations were seen with preterm birth (b = -0.50), vigorous PA (b = -0.34), presence of other children at home (b = -0.25), and sex (b = -0.33). The network's centrality indicators highlighted preterm birth and moderate PA as the most important variables in the network. Future interventions aiming to increase low-income preschoolers' EF should focus on increasing moderate PA, with special attention to preterm children.

The association between working memory, teacher-student relationship, and academic performance in primary school children

Introduction

Early relationships with teachers play an important role in children's development and significantly influence students' cognitive and academic performance. Studies suggest that working memory (WM) is a strong predictor of academic achievement, especially of reading and arithmetic outcomes. The associations between teacher-student relationship (TSR) quality, children's WM skills and their academic performance have been reported in numerous observational studies. However, the potentially bidirectional and temporal nature of the relationships between these constructs is understudied.

Methods

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between primary school children's WM and TSR by applying a cross-lagged design and measuring these constructs at three time points throughout the academic year. More exploratively, this study investigated how WM and TSR bidirectionally relate to children's academic performance.

Results

The findings of this study revealed a temporal relationship between WM and TSR: between WM-related problems in the classroom at baseline and conflict at 3-month follow-up, and between closeness at 3-month follow-up and WM-related problems in the classroom at 5-month follow-up. Moreover, the findings showed a bidirectional relationship between arithmetic performance and WM-related problematic behaviour.

Discussion

This study highlights that relationships between the teacher and students play an important role in supporting students' cognitive and academic development. Importantly, this study suggests that children with WM problems may benefit from interventions that focus on improving their relationships with teachers. Additionally, the findings propose that interventions targeting WM may also have positive effects on children's academic performance.

Dietary patterns and cognitive achievement among school children in socio-cultural context, a case of Montevideo, Uruguay

PURPOSE

The benefits of a healthy diet on children´s cognition have been described in several studies. However, many previous studies have analyzed the effect on general cognitive domains (e.g. intelligence), used measures based almost exclusively on local examinations, and rarely consider social context.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between two diet patterns and contextualized cognitive performance measures of children aged 6-8 years from low-average income neighborhoods in Montevideo, Uruguay.

METHODS

270 first-grade children with complete data participated in the study. Consumption of foods was determined via two averaged 24-h dietary recalls with the mother. Two dietary patterns were identified via principal component analysis: "processed (high calorie) foods" and "nutrient dense". Children´s cognitive performance, including general cognitive abilities, achievement in mathematics and reading, and discrepancy scores between predicted and actual achievement was assessed with the Woodcock-Muñoz Cognitive and Achievement scales. The association of dietary patterns and cognitive endpoints was analyzed in multilevel models, clustered by children´s school. Sociodemographic and biological variables were used as covariates.

RESULTS

The nutrient dense foods pattern, characterized by higher consumption of dark leafy and red-orange vegetables, eggs, beans & peas, potatoes, was associated with better performance in reading, with beta coefficient 3.28 (95% CI 0.02, 6.54). There was also an association between the nutrient dense foods factor and the Discrepancy in reading, 2.52 (0.17, 4.87). Processed (high calorie) foods pattern, characterized by higher consumption of breads, processed meats, fats and oils, sweetened beverages, and sweetened yogurt/dairy products; reduced intake of milk, pastries and pizza dinners was not associated with cognitive performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Nutrient dense food pattern was positively associated with children's reading achievement. A nutrient-rich diet may benefit written language acquisition at the beginning of schooling.

The Insidious Influence of Stress: An Integrated Model of Stress, Executive Control, and Psychopathology

Although exposure to acute stress undoubtedly contributes to psychopathology, most individuals do not develop psychopathology following stress exposure. To explain this, biological, emotional, and cognitive responses to stress have been implicated, but individual differences in executive control (i.e., top-down control of cognition and behavior) measured in response to stress has only recently emerged as a potential factor contributing to psychopathology. In this review, we introduce a model-the integrated model of stress, executive control, and psychopathology-positing how the impairing effects of acute stress on executive control can contribute to psychopathology. We link to research on biological, emotional, and cognitive processes, all of which can be impacted by executive control, to propose a framework for how poorer executive control under conditions of acute stress can contribute to psychopathology. This integrated model is intended to further our understanding of who is more susceptible to the negative consequences of stress.

Adversity effects on nonword repetition skills: A proxy measure of language and reading ability

BACKGROUND

Children exposed to adversity are at increased risk for underachievement in reading; however, how early that risk appears and the mechanisms underlying that risk are unclear.

OBJECTIVE

Identify whether individual variation in nonword repetition-a clinical indicator of language and reading ability-can be captured in early childhood (three- to five-years-old) and how various features of adversity exposure (e.g., dosage, severity) are associated with performance.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Community-based sample of children between the ages of three- and five-years-old who were exposed to significant adversity (n = 92) and living in a major Midwestern metropolitan area.

METHODS

Participants completed a nonword repetition task, and their parent completed a comprehensive adversity questionnaire to report on the child's cumulative lifetime adversity exposure.

RESULTS

Over a third of the participants (34.78 %) did not meet age expectations on the nonword repetition task; however, nonword repetition performance did not significantly associate with the features of the adverse experience (i.e., dosage, severity, frequency, chronicity).

CONCLUSIONS

Risk for underachievement in reading appears early in the preschool years for children exposed to adversity; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear since the features of the children's adverse experiences did not associate with their performance. Implications for prevention and early identification within the learning context are discussed.

The Role of Socioeconomic Adversity and Armed Conflict in Executive Function, Theory of Mind and Empathy in Children

This study investigates the role of socioeconomic adversity and armed conflict in executive function (EF), theory of mind (ToM) and empathy in a rarely studied group, children living in eastern Turkey. The data were collected from 115 children (60 girls) aged 39 to 95 months (M = 68.22, SD = 14.62). Results revealed that children's performance was low in the EF and ToM tasks, and high in the empathy task. In path analysis, controlling for age, armed conflict experience predicted lower EF (β = - 0.15) and higher empathy (β = 0.21), and socioeconomic adversity predicted lower ToM (β = 0.20). These findings contribute to our knowledge on cognitive and emotional development of children who live in such disadvantaged contexts.

Profiles of early family environments and the growth of executive function: Maternal sensitivity as a protective factor

We identified family risk profiles at 6 months using socioeconomic status (SES) and maternal mental health indicators with data from the Family Life Project (N = 1,292). We related profiles to executive function (EF) at 36 months (intercept) and growth in EF between 36 and 60 months. Latent profile analysis revealed five distinct profiles, characterized by different combinations of SES and maternal mental health symptoms. Maternal sensitivity predicted faster growth in EF among children in the profile characterized by deep poverty and the absence of maternal mental health symptoms. Maternal sensitivity also predicted higher EF intercept but slower EF growth among children in the profile characterized by deep poverty and maternal mental health symptoms, and children in the near poor (low SES), mentally healthy profile. Maternal sensitivity also predicted higher EF intercept but had no effect on growth in EF in the near poor, mentally distressed profile. In contrast, maternal sensitivity did not predict the intercept or growth of EF in the privileged SES/mentally healthy profile. Our findings using a person-centered approach provide a more nuanced understanding of the role of maternal sensitivity in the growth of EF, such that maternal sensitivity may differentially affect the growth of EF in various contexts.

Relations Between Executive Functioning and Internalizing Symptoms Vary as a Function of Frontoparietal-amygdala Resting State Connectivity

The prefrontal cortex and the frontoparietal network are associated with a variety of regulatory behaviors. Functional connections between these brain regions and the amygdala are implicated in risk for anxiety disorders. The prefrontal cortex and frontoparietal network are also linked to executive functioning, or behaviors that help orient action towards higher order goals. Where much research has been focused on deleterious effects of under-controlled behavior, a body of work suggests that over-controlled behavior may also pose a risk for internalizing problems. Indeed, while work suggests that high levels of attention shifting may still be protective against internalizing problems, there is evidence that high levels of inhibitory control may be a risk factor for socioemotional difficulties. In the ABCD sample, which offers large sample sizes as well as sociodemographic diversity, we test the interaction between frontoparietal network-amygdala resting state functional connectivity and executive functioning behaviors on longitudinal changes in internalizing symptoms from approximately 10 to 12 years of age. We found that higher proficiency in attention shifting indeed predicts fewer internalizing behaviors over time. In addition, higher proficiency in inhibitory control predicts fewer internalizing symptoms over time, but only for children showing resting state connectivity moderately above the sample average between the frontoparietal network and amygdala. This finding supports the idea that top-down control may not be adaptive for all children, and relations between executive functioning and anxiety risk may vary as a function of trait-level regulation.

Measurement of Self-regulation in Preschool and Elementary Children: A Scoping Review

AIMS

This scoping review sought to identify and characterize measurement of self-regulation in preschool and elementary aged children.

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-Scoping Review (ScR) guidelines were applied. Databases from the fields of allied health, education, medicine, and social sciences were searched including: CINAHL, Education Database (ProQuest), Education Research Complete, EMBASE, ERIC, iNFORMIT Combined, Medline, PsychINFO, Social Sciences (ProQuest), Teacher Reference Center, and Web of Science. Articles published between 2015 and 2020 were included. Dual review was utilized at all stages and a third reviewer resolved any conflicts.

RESULTS

Sixty-seven studies were included in this review. A range of observational, self-report, teacher report, caregiver report, and observational measures of self-regulation were identified. Included studies were primarily published in education and psychology disciplines, with no studies by occupational therapists identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Although a range of measures were identified in this scoping review, the results highlight the lack of consensus regarding self-regulation measurement that occupational therapists use to design and implement therapy programs to address child emotional and behavioral needs.

Effects of prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and childhood material hardship on reading achievement in school-age children: A preliminary study

Background

Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds are at elevated risk for reading problems. They are also likely to live in neighborhoods with high levels of air pollution and to experience material hardship. Despite these risk factors, the links between prenatal chemical exposures, socioeconomic adversities, and reading problems in youth from disadvantaged backgrounds remain understudied. Here we examine associations between prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a common air pollutant, and reading skills, and determine if this relationship is exacerbated by material hardship among Black and/or Latinx children who have been followed as part of a longitudinal urban birth cohort.

Methods

Mothers and their children, who were participants in a prospective birth cohort followed by the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, were recruited for the current study. Personal prenatal PAH exposure was measured during the third-trimester of pregnancy using a personal air monitoring backpack. Mothers reported their level of material hardship when their child was age 5 and children completed measures of pseudoword and word reading [Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III) Basic Reading Index] at age 7. We used multiple linear regression to examine the effects of the interaction between prenatal PAH and material hardship on Basic Reading Index, controlling for ethnicity/race, sex, birthweight, presence of a smoker in the home (prenatal), and maternal education (prenatal) (N = 53).

Results

A prenatal PAH × material hardship interaction significantly associated with WJ-III Basic Reading Index scores at age 7 (β = -0.347, t(44) = -2.197, p = 0.033). Exploratory analyses suggested that this effect was driven by untimed pseudoword decoding (WJ-III Word Attack: β = -0.391, t(44) = -2.550, p = 0.014).

Conclusion

Environmental chemical exposures can be particularly toxic during the prenatal period when the fetal brain undergoes rapid development, making it uniquely vulnerable to chemical perturbations. These data highlight the interactive effects of environmental neurotoxicants and unmet basic needs on children's acquisition of reading skill, specifically phonemic processing. Such findings identify potentially modifiable environmental risk factors implicated in reading problems in children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

A Validation Study of the BRIEF-2 Among Kindergarteners and First Graders At-Risk for Behavior Problems

Early identification of executive dysfunction and timely school-based intervention efforts are critical for students at risk for problematic behaviors during early elementary school. The original Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF) was designed to measure real-world behavioral manifestations of executive functioning, neurocognitive processes critical for school success. With the updated BRIEF-2, independent validation is needed with kindergarten and first grade students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Thus, using item level analyses, we examined the factor structure of the BRIEF-2 Teacher Rating form with 1,112 students. Results indicated little evidence for the original three-index model and supported a modified two-index model, with a Cognitive Regulation Index and an overall Behavior-Emotion Regulation Index. Criterion related validity indicated positive relationships with performance-based executive functioning (Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders) and later internalizing and externalizing behaviors. We discuss implications of findings for early identification and school-based intervention efforts, as well as future research.

Designing a virtual mental health consultation program to support and strengthen childcare centers impacted by COVID-19: A randomized controlled trial protocol

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has had negative psychosocial impacts on young children; teachers in childcare centers continue to be overwhelmed by how to address the downstream psychological effects children are experiencing. This randomized controlled trial will study the role of a community-based, childcare center-support system in improving resilience and mitigating the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on children's development.

METHODS

This study will be modeled on a successful Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) intervention which utilizes mental health consultants to deliver a Jump Start+: COVID 19 Support (JS + CS) virtual toolkit to childcare centers in Miami-Dade County via a Kubi robot. The toolkit comprises four strength-based strategies likely to be effective in improving resiliency following disasters: Safety Planning, Effective Communication, Adult Self-Care, and Trauma-Informed Behavior Support. Our first aim will utilize a cluster randomized trial to examine the effectiveness of JS + CS on improving the psychosocial functioning of young children, as compared to an obesity prevention intervention control group. Children will be followed at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. The second aim will examine the mechanisms that contribute to effective uptake by teachers of the JS + CS support strategies on child outcomes. The third aim will explore implementation barriers/facilitators as well as potential societal contextual factors (e.g., vaccine uptake) to help centers serving disproportionately affected minority communities recover from and prepare for future crises.

CONCLUSION

This design will inform the refinement and scaling of JS + CS and generalize impacts to other childcare center interventions in the context of disasters.

Effects of Early-Life Adversities on Neuropsychiatric and Executive Functions in HIV-Positive Adults

OBJECTIVE

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) contribute to elevations in neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive symptoms in HIV+ adults. Emerging data suggest that exposures to threat-related and deprivation-related ACEs may have differential impacts on function, with threat exposure contributing to neuropsychiatric symptoms, and deprivation contributing to executive dysfunction. Yet, it remains unclear how specific types of ACEs impact neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive symptoms in HIV+ adults. Hence, the current study examined whether these two dimensions of adversity contribute differentially to neuropsychiatric symptoms and executive dysfunction in HIV+ adults.

METHODS

We included a sample of demographically matched HIV+ (N = 72) and HIV-negative (N = 85) adults. Standardized self-report measures assessed threat-related (interpersonal violence) and deprivation-related (poverty/neglect) ACEs, as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms (depression, anxiety, apathy). A brief battery of neuropsychological tests assessed executive functions.

RESULTS

Compared to HIV-negative participants, HIV+ participants reported significantly higher rates of threat exposure (51% vs. 67%, p = .04), while rates of deprivation did not differ significantly (8% vs. 13%, p = .38). In the HIV+ sample, threat exposure was associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms (p < .01) but not executive dysfunction (p = .75). By contrast, deprivation was associated with executive dysfunction, at a trend level (p = .09), but not with neuropsychiatric symptoms (p = .70).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that, relative to HIV-negative samples, HIV+ samples experience higher rates of threat-related ACEs, which contribute to neuropsychiatric symptom elevations. Moreover, our preliminary findings suggest that different types of ACEs could be associated with different profiles of neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive difficulty in HIV+ adults, highlighting the importance of considering dimensions of adversity in future studies.

Direct and Indirect Impacts of Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten on Kindergarten Readiness and Achievement

Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs provide skills needed for successful kindergarten strides, especially for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. While Florida's Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program currently serves most four-year-olds, some educators have questioned the program's quality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of Florida's VPK program on kindergarten readiness and academic achievement for students attending the program in one county's VPK (CVPK) when compared to students who did not attend approved VPK programs in this county. The results suggest that, regardless of socioeconomic status, children who attended CVPK programs were just as prepared and performed equally as well in kindergarten as those who did not attend this program. Unfortunately, we cannot know how the CVPK program compared to specific pre-K alternatives without being able to distinguish program attendance across provider types (i.e., other ECE or no pre-K), which is something we recommend Florida begin tracking and make accessible.

Child exposure to violence and self-regulation in South African preschool-age children from low-income settings

Biological and psychosocial stressors that have been associated with income include family dynamics such as household chaos, family conflict, maternal depression, harsh parenting, lower parental responsiveness, and exposure to violence. Research from high income countries has shown that exposure to violence may have detrimental effects on children's self-regulation, with possible flow-on implications for broad later-life outcomes, but less is known about such links in low- and- middle income countries, where many children live in violent communities and households and where physical punishment remains the norm. This study aimed to investigate exposure to violence, in addition to coercive parenting, and its associations with self-regulation among 243 3- to 5-year-olds (M = 4.7 ± 0.6; 51.9 % female) from low-income settings in Cape Town and who were not attending Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). Results showed that self-regulation was not associated with child exposure to community violence, but it was positively associated with coercive parenting (β = 0.17; p = 0.03). The null concurrent associations between exposure to violence and self-regulation suggest the need for additional research aimed at understanding later potential developmental sequelae. It is important that findings regarding coercive parenting are contextualised within local social norms around parenting styles, as well as the influence of living in dangerous communities on parenting practices.

Executive function, self-regulation skills, behaviors, and socioeconomic status in early childhood

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Prior research has established steep socioeconomic status (SES) disparities in children's cognitive skills at kindergarten entry. Yet, few studies have had comprehensive, multi-informant data to examine SES-related differences in foundational social and emotional skills and executive function. The objective of the current study is to systematically examine SES-related differences in young children's executive function (EF), self-regulation skills, and behaviors.

METHODS

The current study analyzed data on 2,309 young children from the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H). Multi-method (direct-assessment and reports) and multi-informant (parents and early education and care educators) information on children's executive function, self-regulation skills, and internalizing, externalizing, and adaptive behaviors were used. A parametric framework employing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimation was used to quantify the size of the SES-related differences in this set of children's foundational social-emotional skills.

RESULTS

On average, there were differences of 0.24-0.45 SD for EF, 0.22-0.32 SD for self-regulation skills, and 0.27-0.54 SD for behaviors favoring children from the highest SES quartile of the distribution of SES relative to children from the lowest quartile. The SES-related differences were consistent across direct assessment, parent reports, and educator reports. Some differences were larger for older children relative to their younger counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate a need for comprehensive intervention efforts well before kindergarten entry aimed at closing early disparities in children's foundational social and emotional skills and executive function.

Understanding patterns of heterogeneity in executive functioning during adolescence: Evidence from population-level data

Executive functioning (EF) is fundamental to positive development. Yet, little is known about how to best characterize constellations of EF skills that may inform disparate associations between EF and behavior during adolescence. In the current study, cross-validated latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to derive profiles of EF based on measures of inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility using data from 11,672 youth (52.2% male, mean age = 9.91 years) in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study. Four meaningful EF profiles emerged from the data representing Average EF, High EF, Low Inhibitory Control, and Low EF. Boys, youth from low-income households, and early developing youth were more likely to be in profiles distinguished by lower EF. Profile membership also predicted differences in externalizing, internalizing, and other problem behaviors assessed one year later. Findings indicate that youth may have distinct constellations of EF skills, underscoring the need for person-centered approaches that focus on patterns of individual characteristics.

Family Socioeconomic Status and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Preschool Children: The Mediating Role of Executive Function

This study aimed to explore the relationship between family socioeconomic status (SES) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in preschool children and the mediating role of executive function (EF). A total of 361 parents of preschool children were surveyed using the self-reported Family Situation Questionnaire, the Child Executive Functioning Inventory, and the Child Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results revealed that (1) there were significant pairwise correlations between SES, EF and its dimensions, and ADHD, except for a non-significant correlation between SES and regulation ability; (2) after controlling for preschool children's age and sex, SES directly predicted preschoolers' ADHD and EF partially mediated the association between SES and ADHD; and (3) among the EF dimensions, working memory and inhibitory ability significantly mediated the association between SES and ADHD, whereas the mediating effect of regulatory ability was not significant. These results suggest that SES can affect the ADHD of preschoolers both directly and through EF, especially through working memory and inhibitory ability. This supports the family stress model and family investment model of the relationship between SES and the development of children to some extent, and provides a reference for the early prevention of ADHD in children with low SES.

Associations between executive function and early math and literacy skills in preschool children

The current study directly compared the magnitude of associations between executive function (EF) and math versus literacy and investigated whether they differed by age within the preschool years. Participants were 92 typically developing, preschool children in the United States (M _age=58.53 months; 47.8% Female; 58.7% White; 29.3% Non-White). Children completed a developmentally sensitive battery of direct EF assessments, math and literacy achievement tests, and IQ tests. Results showed an EF Composite was associated with math, but not literacy, after controlling for age, verbal and nonverbal IQ, and socioeconomic status. Extending prior work to a younger age, we examined whether the association between EF and academic achievement was moderated by age but found no significant interactions. These findings support the link between EF and math before kindergarten and indicate a similar magnitude of associations in younger and older preschoolers.

Assessment Tools for Executive Function and Adaptive Function Following Brain Pathology Among Children in Developing Country Contexts: a Scoping Review of Current Tools

Several tools have been developed to assess executive function (EFs) and adaptive functioning, although in mainly Western populations. Information on tools for low-and-middle-income country children is scanty. A scoping review of such instruments was therefore undertaken.We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis- Scoping Review extension (PRISMA-ScR) checklist (Tricco et al., in Annals of Internal Medicine 169(7), 467-473, 2018). A search was made for primary research papers of all study designs that focused on development or adaptation of EF or adaptive function tools in low-and-middle-income countries, published between 1st January 1894 to 15th September 2020. 14 bibliographic databases were searched, including several non-English databases and the data were independently charted by at least 2 reviewers.The search strategy identified 5675 eligible abstracts, which was pruned down to 570 full text articles. These full-text articles were then manually screened for eligibility with 51 being eligible. 41 unique tools coming in 49 versions were reviewed. Of these, the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF- multiple versions), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Go/No-go and the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (ROCF) had the most validations undertaken for EF tests. For adaptive functions, the tools with the most validation studies were the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (VABS- multiple versions) and the Child Function Impairment Rating Scale (CFIRS- first edition).There is a fair assortment of tests available that have either been developed or adapted for use among children in developing countries but with limited range of validation studies. However, their psychometric adequacy for this population was beyond the scope of this paper.

Neural correlates of inhibitory control and associations with cognitive outcomes in Bangladeshi children exposed to early adversities

There is strong support for the view that children growing up in low-income homes typically evince poorer performance on tests of inhibitory control compared to those growing up in higher income homes. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the work documenting this association has been conducted in high-income countries. It is not yet known whether the mechanisms found to mediate this association would generalize to children in low- and middle-income countries, where the risks of exposure to extreme poverty and a wide range of both biological and psychosocial hazards may be greater. We examined relations among early adversity, neural correlates of inhibitory control, and cognitive outcomes in 154 5-year-old children living in Dhaka, Bangladesh, an area with a high prevalence of poverty. Participants completed a go/no-go task assessing inhibitory control and their behavioral and event-related potential responses were assessed. Cortical source analysis was performed. We collected measures of poverty, malnutrition, maternal mental health, psychosocial adversity, and cognitive skills. Supporting studies in high-income countries, children in this sample exhibited a longer N2 latency and higher P3 amplitude to the no-go versus go condition. Unexpectedly, children had a more pronounced N2 amplitude during go trials than no-go trials. The N2 latency was related to their behavioral accuracy on the go/no-go task. The P3 mean amplitude, behavioral accuracy, and reaction time during the task were all associated with intelligence-quotient (IQ) scores. Children who experienced higher levels of psychosocial adversity had lower accuracy on the task and lower IQ scores.

Individual differences in sensitivity to positive home environment among children "at risk" for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A review

Although the evidence for the genetic basis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is strong, environmental factors, such as the quality of parenting or the home environment, may moderate such genetic liability. The plausible negative effect of a low-quality home environment and negative parenting on child outcomes is well-established; however, the positive effect of a high-quality environment and positive parenting remained largely uninvestigated. Due to the presence of genetic, temperamental, or physiological factors, children who were traditionally considered at-risk for ADHD may be more sensitive to aspects of their environment compared to children who are not at such risk. Therefore, they would be more affected by their environmental experience, either for good or bad. Under supportive environmental conditions, such at-risk individuals might actually outperform their non-vulnerable peers, suggesting that these individual factors might be considered susceptibility factors rather than risk factors. Little is known regarding the positive effect of the environment in the ADHD literature, but it has been demonstrated in cognitive functions that are closely associated with ADHD, such as executive functions (EF). We review this literature and examine the extant empirical support for sensitivity to aspects of the home environment and parenting in the case of ADHD and EF. Moreover, we review factors that could help identify the specific aspects of the home environment and parenting that these children might be more susceptible to. Such knowledge could be valuable when designing preventive interventions and identifying those children that are especially sensitive and could benefit from such interventions. Recommendations for future studies are discussed as well.

Inhibitory control within the context of early life poverty and implications for outcomes

Early life poverty confers risk for unfavorable outcomes including lower academic achievement, behavioral difficulties, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Disruptions in inhibitory control (IC) have been posed as one mechanism to explain the relationship between early life poverty and deleterious outcomes. There is robust research to suggest that early life poverty is associated with development of poorer IC. Further, poorer IC in children is related to decreased academic achievement and social competence, and increased externalizing and internalizing behavior. There is some parent-report evidence to suggest that IC is a mediator of the relationship between poverty and externalizing behaviors, as well as some limited evidence to suggest that IC is a mediator between poverty and academic achievement. Future work should aim to determine whether early life poverty's relation to IC could be explained by verbal ability which is thought to be central to the development of effective IC. In addition, future neuroimaging work should utilize IC fMRI tasks to identify key neural mechanisms that might contribute to a relationship between early life poverty and IC.

Head start parents' vocational preparedness indirectly predicts preschoolers' physical and relational aggression

Severe poverty has profound impacts on child outcomes, yet much of the research on poverty fails to consider the psychological experiences of poverty, frames low-socioeconomic status families as a monolith, and until recently, has not considered the utility of behavior within the poverty context. This short-term (4 months) longitudinal study was designed to consider children's aggression as predicted by their inhibitory control (IC) and parents' experiences of poverty-related strain in an urban Head Start sample. At Time 1, parents reported on their family's economic situation (income, family size), education, vocational preparedness, and completed a measure of psychological economic strain; children (N = 90; Mage = 52.78 months) completed two IC tasks (Day/Night Stroop; Whisper). Four months later, parents completed the Preschool Proactive and Reactive Aggression survey, used to assess children's physical and relational aggression. Mediation analyses supported that physical and relational aggression were both fully mediated from parents' vocational preparedness, though through different mechanisms. Physical aggression was mediated by parents' psychological economic strain. Relational aggression was mediated through children's IC. Findings support the proposal that aggression should be viewed within context and that typical assumptions about developmental patterns of physical aggression may not hold for all children.

Whose self-control development suffers or benefits in the face of adversity? A longitudinal study of Mexican-origin youth followed from age 10 to 16

This study assessed the co-development of adversity and effortful control based on a sample of Mexican-origin youth (N = 674) and their parents. We used a four-wave longitudinal design and followed target participants from age 10 to 16. At each time point, we measured adversity experienced by the children and their parents and children's effortful control (self- and parent-reported). We also assessed children's shift-and-persist coping strategies at ages 14 and 16. Across time, we found slight decreases in child-adversity and slight increases in parent-adversity. Based on bivariate LGC analyses, we found that the strongest effects surfaced for child- (vs. parent-) adversity. Specifically, we found that greater increases in child-adversity were associated with greater decreases in effortful control from ages 10 to 16. Moreover, we found a positive association between initial levels of child-adversity and the slope of effortful control, as well as a cross-sectional negative association between child- and parent-adversity and effortful control (at age 10). We found no evidence of moderation by shift-and-persist coping strategies. In sum, our results suggest that, on average, Mexican-origin youth exposed to more adversity might experience more maladaptive change with respect to effortful control.

Self-Regulation Development Among Young Spanish-English Dual Language Learners

Despite strong evidence self-regulation skills are critical for school readiness, there remains a dearth of longitudinal studies that describe developmental trajectories of self-regulation, particularly among low-resource and underrepresented populations such as Spanish-English dual-language learners (DLLs). The present study examined individual differences in trajectories of self-regulation among 459 Spanish-English DLLs who were Hispanic from four different samples and three geographic locations in the U.S. Self-regulation was assessed in all samples using repeated administration of the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders (HTKS) task from early childhood through early elementary school. Results of latent growth curve analyses revealed that growth was best represented by quadratic trajectories. Latent class growth analyses captured significant individual differences in self-regulation trajectories. One group of children (41%) started with higher HTKS scores and displayed rapid early growth in performance. A similar percentage of children (41%) displayed intermediate growth in self-regulation, starting with lower HTKS scores but displaying rapid growth commencing arrange 4.5 years. Finally, about 18% of the sample did not display growth in HTKS performance until after entry to elementary school, around age 6 years. Girls were half as likely as boys to be in this later developing group. Likewise, children from families at the upper end of the socioeconomic distribution in this low-income sample were significantly less likely to be in the later developing group relative to children from families with lower SES. Study findings indicate the importance of monitoring growth rates in self-regulation as a means of identifying children at risk for entering school without the requisite self-regulation skills.

Adversity in early childhood: Long-term effects on early academic skills

BACKGROUND

The dimensional adversity model (McLaughlin & Sheridan, 2016) proposes that deprivation and threat affect child development differently. However, empirical support for the dimensional adversity model stems predominately from adolescent samples.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to examine if deprivation and threat experiences in infancy have differential effects on pre-academic skills in early childhood. Furthermore, we addressed the effect of chronic vs. temporary adversity exposure in infancy.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The population-based sample consisted of 3481 infants (49% girls). New-borns and their families were followed longitudinally (6 months to 6 years of age).

METHODS

Based on parental information, we computed four deprivation variables and three threat variables. Pre-academic cognitive and social-emotional skills were measured with a math and a vocabulary test and parental questionnaires on emotion regulation and behavioral problems.

RESULTS

Results showed that infant deprivation (but not threat) is negatively associated with math scores (β = -0.06) and language skills (β = -0.04) in kindergarten. However, infant threat and deprivation were both associated with behavioral problems (β = 0.06; β = 0.04) and emotion-regulation difficulties (β = 0.04; β = 0.03) in kindergarten. Analyses comparing chronic vs. temporary adversity exposure showed that chronic exposure was strongly related to all cognitive and social-emotional outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

We found partial support for the differential effects of deprivation and threat on pre-academic skills. Furthermore, the results suggest that particularly chronic adversity poses a potential risk for development - across domains of cognition and emotions.

Parents matter: Parent acceptance of school-based executive functions interventions relates to improved child outcomes

OBJECTIVES

School-based interventions with parent-training components might improve access among lower-income families to effective help for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. This potential might be realized, however, only if parents perceive the interventions as acceptable and therefore engage with treatment.

METHODS

Parents (N = 124) of 3rd-5th grade students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder rated the acceptability of their child's treatment (one of two culturally responsive behavioral interventions). Parent engagement was measured through attendance at parent training sessions and the extent to which they read a corresponding workbook.

RESULTS

Education and income correlated inversely with parent perceptions of treatment acceptability. Acceptability correlated positively with engagement, more strongly among lower-income families. Acceptability had an indirect effect on treatment outcome, mediated by parent engagement.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment providers should focus on strategies to increase parent acceptability, with particular attention to improving access for lower-income families.

Childhood Violence Exposure, Inflammation, and Cardiometabolic Health

Exposure to interpersonal violence during childhood, a severe and often traumatic form of social stress, is an enduring problem that an emerging body of work suggests may be relevant to cardiometabolic health and the progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD) across the life course. Less is known about this association causally, and consequently, the biological mechanisms that may confer risk for, and resilience to, poor health outcomes in the aftermath of violence are not well understood. Drawing on recent theoretical insights and empirical research in both humans and non-human animal models, the current paper articulates a hypothesis for one way that childhood violence could get "under the skin" to influence CVD. Based on this emerging literature, one plausible way that childhood violence exposure could increase susceptibility to CVD in later life is by sensitizing stress-response neurobiology and immune processes that regulate and promote inflammation, which is a key pathogenic mechanism in CVD. This is inherently a developmental process that begins in early life and that unfolds across the life course, although less is known about the specific mechanisms through which this occurs. The goal of this paper is to articulate some of these plausible mechanisms and to suggest areas for future research that aims to reduce the burden of disease among individuals who are exposed to violence.