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Since Hans Asperger’s first description (Arch Psych Nervenkrankh 117:76–136, 1944), through Lorna Wing’s translation and definition (Psychol Med 11:115–129, 1981), to its introduction in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM, 1994), Asperger Syndrome has always aroused huge interest and debate, until vanishing in the DSM fifth edition (2013). The debate regarded its diagnostic validity and its differentiation from high functioning autism (HFA). The present study aimed to examine whether AS differed from HFA in clinical profiles and to analyze the impact of DSM-5’s innovation. Differences in cognitive, language, school functioning and comorbidities, were revealed when 80 AS and 70 HFA patients (3–18 years) were compared. Results suggested that an AS empirical distinction within autism spectrum disorder should be clinically useful.

Cognitive training (CT) and aerobic exercise both show promising moderate impact on cognition and everyday functioning in schizophrenia. Aerobic exercise is hypothesized to increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and thereby synaptic plasticity, leading to increased learning capacity. Systematic CT should take advantage of increased learning capacity and be more effective when combined with aerobic exercise. We examined the impact of a 6-month program of cognitive training & exercise (CT&E) compared to cognitive training alone (CT) in 47 first-episode schizophrenia outpatients. All participants were provided the same Posit Science computerized CT, 4 h/week, using BrainHQ and SocialVille programs. The CT&E group also participated in total body circuit training exercises to enhance aerobic conditioning. Clinic and home-based exercise were combined for a target of 150 min per week. The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery Overall Composite improved significantly more with CT&E than with CT alone ( = 0.04), particularly in the first 3 months (6.5 2.2 T-score points, < 0.02). Work/school functioning improved substantially more with CT&E than with CT alone by 6 months ( < 0.001). BDNF gain tended to predict the amount of cognitive gain but did not reach significance. The cognitive gain by 3 months predicted the amount of work/school functioning improvement at 6 months. The amount of exercise completed was strongly associated with the degree of cognitive and work/school functioning improvement. Aerobic exercise significantly enhances the impact of CT on cognition and functional outcome in first-episode schizophrenia, apparently driven by the amount of exercise completed.

Cognitive deficits at the first episode of schizophrenia are predictive of functional outcome. Interventions that improve cognitive functioning early in schizophrenia are critical if we hope to prevent or limit long-term disability in this disorder. We completed a 12-month randomized controlled trial of cognitive remediation and of long-acting injectable (LAI) risperidone with 60 patients with a recent first episode of schizophrenia. Cognitive remediation involved programs focused on basic cognitive processes as well as more complex, life-like situations. Healthy behavior training of equal treatment time was the comparison group for cognitive remediation, while oral risperidone was the comparator for LAI risperidone in a 2 × 2 design. All patients were provided supported employment/education to encourage return to work or school. Both antipsychotic medication adherence and cognitive remediation contributed to cognitive improvement. Cognitive remediation was superior to healthy behavior training in the LAI medication condition but not the oral medication condition. Cognitive remediation was also superior when medication adherence and protocol completion were covaried. Both LAI antipsychotic medication and cognitive remediation led to significantly greater improvement in work/school functioning. Effect sizes were larger than in most prior studies of first-episode patients. In addition, cognitive improvement was significantly correlated with work/school functional improvement. These results indicate that consistent antipsychotic medication adherence and cognitive remediation can significantly improve core cognitive deficits in the initial period of schizophrenia. When combined with supported employment/education, cognitive remediation and LAI antipsychotic medication show separate significant impact on improving work/school functioning.

This study investigates the dynamic interplay between teacher–child relationship quality and children's behaviors across kindergarten and first grade to predict academic competence in first grade. Using a sample of 338 ethnically diverse 5-year-old children, nested path analytic models were conducted to examine bidirectional pathways between children's behaviors and teacher–child relationship quality. Low self-regulation in kindergarten fall, as indexed by inattention and impulsive behaviors, predicted more conflict with teachers in kindergarten spring and this effect persisted into first grade. Conflict and low self-regulation jointly predicted decreases in school engagement which in turn predicted first-grade academic competence. Findings illustrate the importance of considering transactions between self-regulation, teacher–child relationship quality, and school engagement in predicting academic competence.

School bullying is a serious psychosocial problem due to its detrimental effects on youth school functioning and adjustment. The present study explored the effects of victimization and perpetration experiences on positive psychological orientations, mental health problems, and subjective wellbeing in high school students. Participants of the study included 456 adolescents studying in two public high schools in a city of Turkey. They were 52.5% (239) female and 47.5% (217) male, and their ages ranged between 13 and 19 years ( M  = 15.53, S D  = 1.13). Findings from the analyses indicated that adolescents in victim and perpetrator groups reported significantly fewer positive psychological orientations, diminished subjective wellbeing, and greater emotional and behavioral problems compared with their non-involved peers. Further outcomes revealed that positive psychological orientations mediated the link between school bullying and mental health problems as well as wellbeing, suggesting the importance of these constructs in developing effective intervention strategies to prevent school bullying and promote youth mental health and wellbeing in school settings.

We examined data collected as a part of the Autism Treatment Network, a group of 15 autism centers across the United States and Canada. Mean Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) scores of the 286 children assessed were significantly lower than those of healthy populations (according to published norms). When compared to normative data from children with chronic conditions, children with ASD demonstrated worse HRQoL for total, psychosocial, emotional and social functioning, but did not demonstrate differing scores for physical and school functioning. HRQoL was not consistently related to ASD diagnosis or intellectual ability. However, it was consistently related to internalizing and externalizing problems as well as repetitive behaviors, social responsiveness, and adaptive behaviors. Associations among HRQoL and behavioral characteristics suggest that treatments aimed at improvements in these behaviors may improve HRQoL.

Disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) are associated with significant academic, behavioral, and relationship challenges in the school setting. Children with co-occurring DBDs and callous-unemotional (CU) traits show a distinct pattern of early starting, chronic, and aggressive disruptive behavior and are resistant to traditional DBD interventions. There is growing evidence that CU traits have important consequences for children’s school functioning. The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize research on CU traits in school with a focus on academics, relationships, and behavior. We searched PsycINFO, PubMed, and Education Full-Text to identify 37 empirical studies that met inclusionary criteria. Findings suggest that CU traits are associated with poor academic performance, high levels of aggression and conduct problems, and difficulty forming relationships at school, often above and beyond the impact of DBDs alone. Findings and future directions are discussed including how the current study can support key stakeholders in promoting the success of students with elevated CU traits.

The current study investigates the mediating effects of meaningful school on the association between school belongingness and internalizing and externalizing problems. A sample of Turkish adolescents ( N  = 460) completed the School Belongingness Scale, Meaningful School Questionnaire, Youth Externalizing Behavior Screener, and Youth Internalizing Behavior Screener. Findings revealed that school belongingness and meaningful school were negatively significantly related to internalizing and externalizing problems. More importantly, mediation analysis showed that meaningful school partially mediated the association between school belongingness with symptoms of internalizing and externalizing difficulties. These results have significant implications for practice and research by presenting further evidence that supports the impact of school belongingness in reducing internalizing and externalizing problems through increased meaningful school. This will contribute to positive school functioning and mental health.

The present study was designed to examine the relationships between students’ character strengths, school-related affect, positive school functioning (i.e., motivation to learn, interest, and engagement at class), and school achievement following the “engine model of well-being” that is focusing on inputs (e.g., personality traits), processes (e.g., moods, emotions), and outcomes (e.g., engagement, accomplishments) within the context of well-being research. A sample of 196 children completed the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth, which assesses 24 character strengths, and the PANAS-C that assesses school-related positive and negative affect. Additionally, homeroom teachers rated students’ positive school functioning (i.e., motivation, engagement, and interest at school) and their overall school achievement. The character strengths of zest, love of learning, perseverance, and social intelligence showed the strongest positive correlations with school-related positive affect. Teamwork, hope, self-regulation, and love were substantially negatively correlated with school-related negative affect. Certain character strengths showed positive relationships with positive school functioning and overall school achievement. A path model, testing the “engine model of well-being”, found—additionally to direct effects—indirect relationships between character strengths and positive school functioning (through school-related positive affect), which in turn leads to higher school achievement. The presented findings show character strengths as meaningful resources in the schooling context. Character strengths emerge to be crucial for students to experience school-related positive affect, which in turn supports students’ positive school functioning and their overall school achievement. The results demonstrate the complex interplay between students’ personality traits, affect, school functioning, and achievement at school.

Complete mental health is characterized by the presence of well-being and the absence of psychopathological symptoms. Studies on the influence of complete mental health on general school functioning and school adjustment among youth is limited, but existing literature has shown its potential positive effects. The purpose of this study is to investigate how complete mental health status influences school functioning and adjustment among elementary school children. The study included 362 grade 5–8 students (10–14 years of age) from a public school in an urban city of Turkey. A series univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to investigate the differential effects of mental health status on youth school functioning and adjustment. The largest proportion of the participants was classified into the complete mental health group (n = 246, 68%), followed by vulnerable, troubled, and symptomatic–but–content groups. Post hoc comparison results showed that the complete mental health group felt greater connection to their school, had better academic functioning, showed more prosocial behaviors, and reported less bullying and victimization in school than the other groups. These results suggest that identifying both psychological distress and wellbeing is integral to understanding the overall adjustment and functioning of students in school settings.