Improving executive functioning in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) often exhibit executive function (EF) impairments.
• Few interventions specifically target EF improvement in this population.
• Self-regulation is a key component of EF crucial for daily functioning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of the Alert Program for Self-Regulation® in improving EF, behavior, and social skills in children with FASD.
• To determine if improvements in self-regulation generalize to other EF domains.
• To assess the maintenance of treatment gains over time.

Main Methods:

• A 12-week randomized controlled trial comparing immediate treatment (TXT) with a delayed treatment control (DTC) group.
• Participants were 25 children aged 8-12 years diagnosed with FASD.
• Evaluations included objective EF assessments and parent-reported questionnaires at baseline, 12-week follow-up, and 6-month follow-up for the TXT group.

Main Results:

• The TXT group showed significant improvements in inhibitory control and social cognition at 12 weeks.
• Parents reported enhanced behavioral and emotional regulation and reduced externalizing behaviors in the TXT group.
• Improvements in parent-rated inhibitory control and behavior were maintained at 6-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

• The Alert Program is an effective intervention for remediating EF deficits in children with FASD.
• Targeting self-regulation skills can lead to broader improvements in executive function and behavior.
• The positive effects of the Alert Program demonstrate the potential for targeted interventions in FASD.