Academic, Clinical, and Psychosocial Profiles for High Ability Individuals With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

ABSTRACT

How mental health disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) manifest in high ability youth has received little empirical attention, and differentiating OCD from other diagnoses like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be challenging. The purpose of this study was to examine clinical profiles among OCD, ASD, or no diagnosis for those of high ability and not high ability. Results indicated those with high ability only tended to obtain higher ability and achievement scores than those with a co-occurring disability. Youth in the high ability/OCD and high ability/ASD groups had lower working memory and processing speed scores than the high ability alone group, but also had frequent comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnoses. The high ability/OCD and high ability/ASD groups were the most divergent on the anxiety and atypicality Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BASC) subtests, but an anxiety disorder was often comorbid with OCD.

KEYWORDS:

• academic
• clinical
• descriptive analysis
• high ability
• obsessive-compulsive disorder
• psychosocial
• twice exceptional

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Simons Foundation [SFARI Explorer 594788 to JJM].

Notes on contributors

Brandon LeBeau

Brandon LeBeau is an Associate Professor of Educational Measurement and Statistics at the University of Iowa. His research is at the intersection of research software development with R, statistical methodology, and applied statistical analyses focusing on evaluating program effectiveness. In particular, he has expertise in longitudinal data analysis with mixed models and using item response theory to create developmental scales to more accurately explore growth across a lengthy developmental span. Email: [email protected]

Megan Foley-Nicpon

Megan Foley-Nicpon is the Myron and Jacqueline Blank Endowed Chair and Director of the University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center, as well as a licensed psychologist and professor of Counseling Psychology. Dr. Foley Nicpon’s research and clinical interests include assessment and intervention with high ability students with disabilities, and the social and emotional development of talented and diverse students. She regularly writes and presents about high ability, counseling psychology, and twice exceptionality. Email: [email protected]

Alissa F. Doobay

Alissa Doobay, PhD, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology and the Director of Clinical Services for the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health at the University of Iowa. Previously, Doobay was Supervisor of Psychological Services at the University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education where she specialized in clinical assessment, therapy, and consultation for twice exceptional youth, particularly students who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disorders, ADHD, anxiety, and mood disorders. Doobay earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a PhD in Counseling Psychology, both from the University of Iowa. Email: [email protected]

Katherine Schabilion

Katherine Schabilion is a licensed psychologist and Supervisor of Psychological Services in the Belin-Blank Center Assessment and Counseling Clinic. She supports twice exceptional students and their families through evaluation, therapy, and consultation to facilitate access to opportunities to develop both their strengths and their areas of challenge. Email: [email protected]

Christopher L. Smith

Christopher L. Smith, PhD is a licensed psychologist at the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa. He specializes in working with gifted and twice exceptional students providing counseling and assessment services. He also engages in supervision of psychology students and research. His research interests include giftedness, twice exceptionality, psychological assessment, resistance to assessment, cultural issues in assessment, and evidence-based treatments for trauma. Email: [email protected]

Amanda J. Berns

Amanda J. Berns is a licensed psychologist at the Belin-Blank Center’s Assessment and Counseling Clinic. She received her Bachelor of Science, Education Specialist Degree, and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Iowa. She has worked clinically as a school psychologist, autism consultant, and licensed psychologist in the schools and in outpatient and community mental and behavioral health settings. Her research interests have involved social and emotional experiences for twice exceptional youth with autism spectrum disorder and high cognitive ability. Dr. Berns currently enjoys supporting professionals, students, individuals, and their families at the Belin-Blank Center. Email: [email protected]

Susan G. Assouline

Susan G. Assouline is Emerita Director of the Belin-Blank Center, and Emerita Professor of School Psychology. Throughout her career, her research revolved around identification of academic talent, academic acceleration, and twice exceptionality. Her work in twice exceptionality started with a collaboration with Belin-Blank Center Director Megan Foley Nicpon. This collaboration expanded to include College of Education colleagues and the Iowa Neuroscience Institute. In 2015, she co-edited with Nicholas Colangelo, Joyce VanTassel-Baska, and Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, A Nation Empowered: Evidence Trumps the Excuses Holding Back America’s Brightest Students. In 2016 she received the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) 2016 Distinguished Scholar Award. Email: [email protected]