Lee, Nancy RaitanoWallace, Gregory L
Summary
The proposed administrative supplement seeks to extend the parent grant’s goal of evaluating the real world correlates of executive function (an umbrella term used to describe cognitive skills that are important for self-regulation and problem solving) via the inclusion of two supplemental aims. The aims involve: 1) examining executive function links with work readiness, a complementary and continuous metric of vocational potential independent of broader and variable external factors (e.g., service provision) influencing employment for individuals with Down syndrome (DS); and 2) identifying through both quantitative and qualitative means potential confounding contextual/environmental factors that are external to the individual (e.g., parent motivation, access to transportation) and likely to modify or obscure relations between executive dysfunction and vocational outcomes. Through greater refinement of functional outcome metrics and their influences, the proposed research has increased potential to inform intervention development that improves quality of life for adults with DS.