Psychological types of female primary school teachers in Anglican state-maintained schools in England and Wales : implications for continuing professional development

A sample of 221 female primary school teachers in Anglican state-maintained schools in England and Wales completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales (FPTS). The data demonstrated clear preferences for Extraversion (E) over Introversion (I), for Sensing (S) over Intuition (N), for Feeling (F) over Thinking (T) and for Judging (J) over Perceiving (P). The two predominant types among female primary school teachers were ESFJ (27.6%) and ISFJ (18.6%). These findings confirm earlier research among trainee female primary school teachers and help to clarify the main strengths and potential challenges facing primary schools in light of knowledge about the key psychological preferences of those who shape the classroom environment. These findings also generate new insights into teacher retention and career paths in primary schools

The relationship between recalled self-esteem as a child and current levels of professional burnout among Anglican clergy in England

This study links and tests three strands of theory concerned with explaining individual differences in levels of professional burnout in general and among religious professionals in particular. These three strands concern the significance of current self-esteem, recalled self-esteem as a child, and personality. Data were provided by a sample of 1,278 male stipendiary parochial clergy working in the Church of England who completed the modified Maslach Burnout Inventory (specially designed for use among clergy), and the short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (designed to measure the personality dimensions of extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism), together with a semantic differential index of recalled self-esteem as a child. The bivariate correlation coefficients demonstrated significant associations between more positive self-esteem as a child and lower levels of professional burnout (higher personal accomplishment, lower emotional exhaustion and lower depersonalisation). The bivariate correlation coefficients also demonstrated significant associations between personality and professional burnout. Multiple regression analyses, however, demonstrated that the association between recalled self-esteem as a child and professional burnout largely disappeared after controlling for the personality variables. The conclusion is drawn that knowledge about the personality profile of clergy functions as a more secure predictor of susceptibility to professional burnout than knowledge about recalled self-esteem as a child

Retained peritoneal shunt tubing causing hematuria

Journal ArticleThis 14-year-old boy with congenital hydrocephalus underwent initial shunt placement shortly after birth. During his first 6 years of life, multiple ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt revisions were performed to address seven shunt malfunctions and one shunt infection (Staphylococcus epidermidis). During the last shunt revision, which took place 8 years before the current presentation, it was noted that the distal peritoneal shunt tubing (Peritoneal Catheter, Standard, Barium Impregnated; Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN) had fractured and was coiled in the pelvis. Nevertheless, the tubing was not retrieved at that time

Optic pathway gliomas: a review

Journal ArticleOptic pathway gliomas represent approximately 3-5% of childhood intracranial tumors. They usually occur in children during the first decade of life and are seen in 11-30% of patients with neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1). Although these tumors are typically low-grade gliomas, the clinical course and natural history are highly variable, making treatment paradigms difficult. Overall, however, they are often indolent tumors that can be observed over time for progression without initial treatment, especially in patients with NF1. Chemotherapy is the first-line treatment for progressive tumors, and radiation therapy is reserved for patients with progressive disease who are older than 5-7 years. Surgery is reserved for large tumors causing mass effect or hydrocephalus and tumors confined to the orbit or unilateral optic nerve

Dropping the mask:It takes two.

In some social situations, autistic people feel pressure to modify their innate social behaviour (i.e. camouflage), while in other social situations they feel free to engage in ways that feel authentic or true to themselves. To date, the latter aspect of autistic people’s experience has rarely been explored. Using an online qualitative survey, this study examined 133 autistic people’s experiences and perspectives of socialising in ways that felt authentic to them, with a particular focus on mixed-neurotype interactions and the role of nonautistic people. Using reflexive thematic analysis, four themes were generated: (1) embracing diverse communication styles, interests and perspectives; (2) creating a more inclusive mixed-neurotype social environment together; (3) minimising and managing mixed-neurotype miscommunication in mutually beneficial ways; and (4) enjoyable interactions involving reduced anxiety and exhaustion as well as genuine connection and rapport. These findings are discussed with reference to theory and research involving the construct of authenticity both inside and outside the field of autism research. The knowledge generated in this study illuminates a previously underexplored aspect of autistic people’s experience and elucidates potential avenues through which to enhance the social experiences and well-being of this group

The longitudinal heterogeneity of autistic traits: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Previous reviews have characterised the mean stability of autistic traits (ATs) across samples on a single measure. However, no review has yet assessed mean change across a range of measures, or described the longitudinal heterogeneity of ATs, i.e. variation in direction and degree of change. METHOD: A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO and EMBASE up to May 31 2020. Forty-four studies meeting inclusion criteria were identified. RESULTS: Retrieved studies ranged from N = 20 to N = 9,744. Ages spanned one to 15 years at baseline and two to 23 years at follow-up. The proportion of female participants per study ranged from 0 to 51%. There is some evidence that overall ATs tend to reduce over time for autistic children, reflecting decreases in social communication difficulties but not restricted behaviours. This effect was strongest in clinical samples and using parent-report measures. However, there was good evidence that statistics of mean change obscure between-person differences in within-person change. Decreasing ATs appear linked to higher verbal and non-verbal IQ and female gender in autistic participants. Four patterns of change: increasing, decreasing and stable high and low best characterised the data. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals experience diverse patterns of change over time. More general population studies are needed to reduce male bias. More work is needed to characterise the relationship between trajectories and well-being, functioning and quality of life outcomes. This will help to understand factors that promote resilience and reduce risk, and therefore to improve the timing and targets of intervention

Dementia Screening Accuracy is Robust to Premorbid IQ Variation: Evidence from the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-III and the Test of Premorbid Function

BACKGROUND: Scores on cognitive screening tools for dementia are associated with premorbid IQ. It has been suggested that screening scores should be adjusted accordingly. However, no study has examined whether premorbid IQ variation affects screening accuracy. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the screening accuracy of a widely used cognitive screening tool for dementia, the Addenbrooke's cognitive examination-III (ACE-III), is improved by adjusting for premorbid IQ. METHODS: 171 UK based adults (96 memory service attendees diagnosed with dementia and 75 healthy volunteers over the age of 65 without subjective memory impairments) completed the ACE-III and the Test of Premorbid Function (TOPF). The difference in screening performance between the ACE-III alone and the ACE-III adjusted for TOPF was assessed against a reference standard; the presence or absence of a diagnosis of dementia (Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, or others). RESULTS: Logistic regression and receiver operating curve analyses indicated that the ACE-III has excellent screening accuracy (93% sensitivity, 94% specificity) in distinguishing those with and without a dementia diagnosis. Although ACE-III scores were associated with TOPF scores, TOPF scores may be affected by having dementia and screening accuracy was not improved by accounting for premorbid IQ, age, or years of education. CONCLUSION: ACE-III screening accuracy is high and screening performance is robust to variation in premorbid IQ, age, and years of education. Adjustment of ACE-III cut-offs for premorbid IQ is not recommended in clinical practice. The analytic strategy used here may be useful to assess the impact of premorbid IQ on other screening tools

Characteristics of Older Autistic Adults: a Systematic Review of Literature

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects individuals across their lifetime, though the effects of ageing in older adulthood are poorly understood to date. This systematic review assessed six characteristics in older autistic adults (cognitive functioning, co-occurring difficulties, autism symptom severity, social integration, adaptive functioning, language processing). A total of 41 studies met inclusion criteria, 16 of which included autistic adults with intellectual disability, and three were longitudinal in nature. Findings show differing effects of ageing across the six domains. Factors contributing to discrepancies such as age and IQ differences, methodology and healthy survivor effect are discussed. The need for more longitudinal studies to investigate changes across developmental stages alongside other limitations, future directions and clinical implications are discussed

Is "not just right experience" (NJRE) in obsessive-compulsive disorder part of an autistic phenotype?

OBJECTIVE: Harm avoidance (HA) and "not just right experience" (NJRE) have been proposed to be 2 core motivational processes underlying obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The objective of this study was to explore whether NJRE demarcates a neurodevelopmental OCD subgroup distinct from HA related to autistic traits and/or to a broader phenotype of cognitive rigidity and sensory processing difficulties associated with an earlier age of OCD onset. METHODS: A correlational design investigated whether NJRE and HA are distinct entities in OCD and explored their relationship to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits measured by the Autism Quotient (AQ), sensory processing, set-shifting, and age of OCD onset in an OCD sample (N=25). RESULTS: NJRE was only moderately (r=.34) correlated to HA and not significant in this study. Consistent with predictions, NJRE was associated with sensory processing difficulties and an earlier age of OCD onset. No significant relationships were found between NJRE and ASD traits as measured by the AQ or set-shifting difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings suggest a lack of evidence demonstrating NJRE as a manifestation of core autistic traits as measured by the AQ. However, NJRE was associated with sensory abnormalities and an earlier age of OCD onset. The role of NJRE as a developmental, and possibly neurodevelopmental, risk factor for OCD possibly warrants further investigation

Autistic spectrum disorder symptoms in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analytical review

BACKGROUND: Research identifies highly variable prevalence estimates for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), particularly between community and clinical samples, warranting quantitative meta-analyses to investigate the true prevalence of ASD in children and adolescents with ADHD. // METHODS: Studies were identified through a systematic literature search of PsycINFO, MEDLINE and Web of Science through January 2018. Twenty-two publications met inclusion criteria (total N = 61 985). Two random effects meta-analyses were conducted: (1) to identify the proportion of children and adolescents with ADHD that met criteria for ASD; and (2) to compare the severity of dimensionally-measured ASD symptomology in children and adolescents with and without ADHD. // RESULTS: The overall pooled effect for children and adolescents with ADHD who met threshold for ASD was 21%. There was no significant difference between community samples (19%) and clinical samples (24%) or between US studies v. those from other countries. Children and adolescents with ADHD had substantially more dimensionally-measured ASD traits compared with those who did not have ADHD (d = 1.23). // CONCLUSION: The findings provide further evidence that ADHD and ASD are associated in nature. Clinical and research implications are discussed