ADOLESCENT ADJUSTMENT TO CHRONIC PHYSICAL DISORDERS .1. COMPARING NEUROLOGICAL AND NONNEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS

Early research on child adjustment to chronic illness assumed that eac h condition had a unique impact. Recently researchers have suggested t hat all chronic conditions influence adjustment in similar ways. To co mpare these models, data were collected on 165 adolescents having chro nic conditions with and without brain involvement, and 49 healthy cont rols. Adolescents with brain-based conditions had more behaviour probl ems, less autonomous functioning and poorer school achievement. Childr en with conditions having no brain involvement differed from controls only in reporting less work experience and having lower math achieveme nt scores. These findings support a modified perspective that involves both general factors and effects specific to brain-based conditions.