Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a significant public health concern arising from prenatal alcohol exposure. This study examines the clinical utility of Wechsler intelligence tests in assessing cognition in 108 children with confirmed prenatal alcohol exposure. Data were analysed using multidimensional scaling and Guttman's Structural…

Background: Australia has limited supports to help families where Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) impacts children and young people. National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Australia (NOFASD), in conjunction with the University of Otago, New Zealand, piloted and established a 7-week online program to assist caregivers to…

People with disabilities have not been adequately represented in strengths-based research. This study is the first to examine strengths and positive influences of young children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Thirty adoptive and relative caregivers of children with FASD reported their children's strengths and positive influences and…

The rationale of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Dog-assisted Therapy (DAT) in children and adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). We conducted a randomized controlled trial in a cohort of 71 children and adolescents with FASD. Participants were randomly assigned either to DAT group (n = 38) or Relaxation Group…

The study examined the cognitive processes involved in written sentence construction in children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) when compared a control group of nonexposed typically developing children, and a contrast group of nonexposed children with various clinical diagnoses. Results indicated that children with PAE and those in…

Introduction: Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with cognitive, emotional, and learning impairments have an increased likelihood of experiencing behavioral and socio-emotional difficulties and historical trauma. Methods: Using the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health instrument, this…

Sleep problems are common among children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). We review sleep disturbance in three major NDDs: autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). We review associations with functional impairment, discuss how patterns of sleep disturbance inform understanding of etiology, and…

Background: Infants, children, and youth in foster care have frequently experienced prenatal substance exposure (PSE), neglect, and maltreatment as well as disruptions in their relationships with families. They also have great capacity for overcoming early adversities. In this synthesis of two previously conducted scoping reviews, we aimed to…

Introduction: Caregivers of autistic children and caregivers of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) experience considerable stress. However, what is unique or similar across these groups remains understudied. This study explored how female caregivers of children with FASD who registered to participate in a caregiver focused mental…

Self-management has been found to be favorable for improving a wide variety of skills as well as decreasing problematic behaviors in individuals with a range of disabilities. We used a single case withdrawal design to investigate the use of a self-management intervention on problem behaviors of a nine-year-old Native American child with fetal…

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with profound and lifelong disability. The umbrella term fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) describes a spectrum of impairments resulting from the deleterious effects of PAE (Chudley et al., 2005). While the core aspects of the condition remain unchanged, the Australian guidelines comprise two…

Metacognitive training is an emerging cognitive intervention for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) that teaches children to think about their thinking and use strategies to improve learning and regulation. We investigated how children with FASD acquired metacognitive strategies during a computerized intervention delivered in a…

How are mental health practitioners using Snoezelen rooms with children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) within a community mental health setting? Using purposive sampling, we collected information from seven practitioners on how they currently use Snoezelen rooms to support children with FASD and what evidence they believe is needed to…

To evaluate the strength of evidence for the effectiveness, feasibility, and appropriateness of the Alert Program®. Multiple databases were systematically searched for peer-reviewed, English-language articles that evaluated the Alert Program®. Six articles met the inclusion criteria. The strength of evidence ranged from weak to moderate using the…

Background: Prenatal Alcohol Exposure is a major cause of brain damage and developmental delay, known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) but in Poland is rarely diagnosed and the scale of problem is not known. Methods: An active case ascertainment approach was applied to estimate the prevalence of FASD among 7-9 years olds. Pre-screening…