Behavior regulation skills are associated with adaptive functioning in children and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure

Abstract

Children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) experience a range of adverse outcomes that impact multiple domains of functioning, including cognitive, physical, mental health, behavioral, social-emotional, communication, and learning. To inform tailored clinical intervention, the current study examined the relation between caregiver-reported cognitive skills (executive function; EF) and adaptive functioning. The study conducted a secondary analyses of data provided by caregivers of 87 children and adolescents (aged 5–18 years, M = 11.7; 52% male) with confirmed PAE, including a subset (n = 70) with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), who reported on their child’s EF (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function) and adaptive function (Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, 2nd Edition) skills. Findings from the current study showed that caregivers reported significantly poorer EF and adaptive functioning skills for children with PAE as compared to normative samples. Poorer behavior regulation skills were associated with all aspects of adaptive functioning (i.e., practical, conceptual, and social skills). Specifically, shifting skills emerged as the best predictor of adaptive functioning among children with PAE. These results highlight the possibility that targeting particular EF domains among individuals with PAE may benefit behavior regulation, which may also extend to adaptive skills. This highlights the need to develop EF interventions for children and adolescents who have been prenatally exposed to alcohol.

Keywords:

• Adaptive functioning
• behavioral regulation
• executive functioning
• fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
• prenatal alcohol exposure

Disclosure statement

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

Data availability statement

Due to the nature of this research, participants of this study did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data is not available.

Notes

1 At the time of data collection, the BRIEF2 was not available.

2 At the time of data collection, the ABAS-3 was not available.

Additional information

Funding

Support for this study was provided by NeuroDevNet (now Kids Brain Health Network) and Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI) grants. EG received support from Sunny Hill Foundation for Children. SMH received support from BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHRI), and the Brain Canada and Kids Brain Health Network Developmental Neurosciences Research Training Award, and is now supported by Sunny Hill Foundation for Children. KM received training grants from NeuroDevNet (now called the Kids Brain Health Network) and the Women’s and Children’s Research Institute at the time of data collection. Her research program is now supported through funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and the Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research Network. At the time of the study Carmen Rasmussen was supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator Award. LCM received salary support from the BCCHRI.