Principal Investigator(s):
Laura Anthony, Ph.D.
Grant Type:
Applied Research
Funding:
$60,000.00
Organization:
Children's National Medical Center
Year Awarded:
2007
Year Completed:
2010
Location:
Washington, DC
Topics:
Cognition and Executive Function; Education and School Aged Children
Abstract
Children with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism (AS/HFA) are bright, caring people plagued by problems with aspects of executive function (EF): flexible thinking/behavior, integration, planning, and organizing. These EF problems interfere with learning and behavior in the classroom (e.g., trouble transitioning, getting stuck on things), and relate to the repetitive behaviors and social difficulties characteristic of AS/HFA. This proposal seeks develop and investigate an intervention to address the core EF component of flexible thinking, while also building other, supporting EF skills. Because there are no tested school-based EF interventions for children with AS/HFA, this project builds upon an EF cognitive remediation intervention for children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). This project will employ a participatory research framework to (1) adapt the intervention components and develop a draft of the intervention materials, (2) conduct a pilot study evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention, and (3) revise the intervention and/or measures based on feedback and results.
Published Journal Article
Kenworthy, L., Anthony, L. G., Naiman, D. Q., Cannon, L., Wills, M. C., Luong‐Tran, C., Wallace, G. L. (2014). Randomized controlled effectiveness trial of executive function intervention for children on the autism spectrum. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(4), 374-383. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12161
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