The Correspondence Between Executive Functioning and Academic Achievement Among Children with Prenatal Alcohol...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Canadian guidelines recommend direct brain assessments for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
• Executive functioning can be assessed directly or indirectly, but discrepancies exist.
• The relationship between direct/indirect executive functioning measures and academic achievement is not well-understood, especially with the BRIEF2.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between direct executive functioning measures, indirect measures (BRIEF2), and academic achievement in children undergoing FASD assessment.
• To investigate if academic achievement mediates discrepancies between direct and indirect executive functioning assessments.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 74 children (Mage = 11.77) who completed FASD diagnostic assessments in Canada.
• Inclusion of direct and indirect executive functioning measures across different settings.
• Assessment of academic achievement alongside executive functioning measures.

Main Results:

• Few significant correlations were found between corresponding BRIEF2 ratings and direct executive functioning measures.
• Academic achievement showed significant correlations with educator BRIEF2 ratings and direct executive functioning measures.
• No significant associations were found between caregiver BRIEF2 ratings and academic achievement.

Conclusions:

• Academic performance is associated with both direct executive functioning assessments and educator ratings on the BRIEF2.
• Direct and indirect measures of executive functioning largely did not correlate, suggesting distinct constructs or measurement challenges.
• Findings highlight the importance of considering academic performance when interpreting executive functioning assessments in FASD evaluations.