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Relations Between Executive Functioning and Academic Performance in Adolescents with Neurofibromatosis-1

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Abstract

Neurofibromatosis-1 (NF1) is one of the most common single-gene autosomal dominant disorders. In addition to significant medical complications, learning and attention problems are two of the most commonly reported difficulties in the NF1 population. Given that executive dysfunction often contributes to both learning and attention problems, the goal of the current study was to examine relations between executive and academic skills for adolescents with NF1 while considering the role of intellectual functioning. Participants were 26 adolescents with NF1 and their parents. Data from laboratory-based measures and parent ratings of executive skills in day-to-day life were integrated to elucidate the factors that contribute to academic success. Elevated rates of difficulties were observed on the laboratory-based and parent report measures of executive functioning. Findings indicate that learning difficulties are pervasive in the NF1 population, and that executive dysfunction relates to academic achievement even when intellectual functioning and age are taken into account. Interventions aimed at improving executive skills may therefore improve academic performance in children with NF1.

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Acknowledgments

We are extremely grateful to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Genetic Clinics for the expertise and assistance with this project. In particular, we thank Dr. Pamela Trapane for allowing us to work with her patients and the genetics counselors, Danuta Stachiw-Hietpas, Heather Radtke, Stefanie Dugan, for their help with recruitment and medical severity ratings. We thank the students who worked on this research: Laura Harfst and Jessica Joseph for leading recruitment, and Kate Holman, Kathi Fine, Kelly Janke, Melissa Fuentes, Amanda Mozina, Rebecca Shefsky, Lorri Kais and Elaine Benneton for data collection. Most of all we thank the adolescents and their families for allowing us into their homes and taking part in this study.

This work was supported by a grant awarded to MMG from Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Children’s Research Institute, (3764.364, 3829.364).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA

    Kelly M. Janke, Bonita P. Klein-Tasman & W. Hobart Davies

  2. Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Molly M. Garwood

  3. Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Pamela Trapane

  4. Department of Psychology, Marcus Autism Center, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA

    Kathyrn S. Holman

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  1. Kelly M. Janke
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Correspondence to Kelly M. Janke.

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Janke, K.M., Klein-Tasman, B.P., Garwood, M.M. et al. Relations Between Executive Functioning and Academic Performance in Adolescents with Neurofibromatosis-1. J Dev Phys Disabil 26, 431–450 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-014-9375-3

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