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Browsing by Author "Hudock, Rebekah"

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    Autism mentorship program: A self-concept strengthening program
    (2020-03) Tomfohrde, Olivia; Goldberg, Emily; Goerdt, Annie; Weiler, Lindsey; Hudock, Rebekah
    Adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report that they often feel burdened by their diagnosis and struggle with social interactions and anxiety. Concurrently, adolescents with ASD rarely know adult role models with ASD who can serve as a source of guidance and inspiration. The Autism Mentorship Program (AMP) is a first-of-its-kind program that matches autistic* adolescents with autistic adults in one-to-one mentoring relationships (*identity-first language preferred). AMP was designed to provide youth with a sense of identity and belonging, by means of a supportive relationship. The aim of this study was to explore the promise of AMP to affect mentors’ and mentees’ self-concept and self-satisfaction. Seven mentee-mentor pairs (N=14) completed pre- and post-test assessments. Results showed that 83% of mentees and 57% of mentors improved in overall self-concept. Mentees experienced a moderate change in life-satisfaction (d=0.56) and a moderate to large change in self-satisfaction (d=0.71). Mentors reported a minimal change in self-satisfaction (d=0.13) and a small increase in life-satisfaction (d=0.30). One hundred percent of mentees and mentors reported satisfaction with the program. As such, AMP shows promise as a mutually beneficial program for supporting aspects of wellbeing for individuals with ASD.
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    Variability in neuropsychological functioning in patients with downstream RAS pathway mutations. Poster presented at the 47th Annual Meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society. New York, NY.
    (2019-02) McNeill, Alana; Hudock, Rebekah; Kais, Lorri; Pierpont, Mary Ella; Pierpont, Elizabeth I.
    Objective: Gene mutations within the Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase (RAS-MAPK) signaling cascade have been associated with multiple genetic syndromes with varying degrees of neurocognitive impairment. Current research has focused on how specific molecular alterations in RAS pathway genes may predict the presence and severity of neurocognitive sequelae. Results from cohort studies suggest greater frequency of neurocognitive and adaptive impairment with more downstream mutations (i.e., Cesarini et al., 2009; Pierpont et al., 2010), with a high degree of variability noted across individuals with the mutations in the same gene (e.g., Pierpont et al., 2016). The aim of the current study was to examine the neurocognitive profiles of individuals with downstream RAS pathway mutations. Participants and Methods: Participants (ages 3-24) with MEK2 (n=3), BRAF (n=4), and KRAS (n=6) mutations were administered neurocognitive evaluations, including measures of nonverbal intellectual ability, receptive vocabulary, and adaptive functioning. Nonverbal reasoning (DAS-II & KBIT-2) and receptive vocabulary (PPVT-IV) scores were compared alongside overall parent-rated adaptive skills (Vineland-3). Results: More than half of the sample (54%) met criteria for intellectual disability, with significant neurocognitive variability among the remaining participants. Parent-rated adaptive functioning was generally higher in those patients whose verbal skills were relatively strong compared to nonverbal abilities. Further exploration of adaptive functioning skills indicated relative strengths in social skills for the majority of the current sample. Conclusions: While there was a high degree of variability across participants, patterns of cognitive and adaptive functioning emerged based on the specific gene mutation. The BRAF mutation was associated with a greater degree of neurocognitive impairment. Study findings may assist with guiding treatment planning and family-based interventions.