Adaptive behaviour in children and adolescents with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders: a comparison with specific learning disability and typical development

Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is a leading cause of intellectual disability in the western world. Children and
adolescents with FASD are often exposed to a double burden in life, as their neurological sequelae are accompanied by adverse
living surroundings exposing them to further environmental risk. In the present study, the adaptive abilities of a group of
children and adolescents with FASD were examined using the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (VABS) and compared to those
of a group of IQ-matched children with specific learning disorder (SLD) as well as with typically developing controls (CON).
The results showed significantly different adaptive abilities among the groups: Children with FASD performed worse than IQ-matched
children with SLD, who in turn performed worse than typically developing children on all domains (communication, daily living
skills and socialization) on the VABS. Compared to the other groups, social skills declined with age in the FASD group. These
results support previous studies of adaptive behaviour deficits in children with FASD and provide further evidence of the
specificity of these deficits. On a societal level, more efforts and resources should be focused on recognizing and diagnosing
FASD and supporting communication skills, daily living skills and most of all social skills across diagnostic groups within
FASD. Without adequate intervention, adolescents and young adults with FASD run a great risk of marginalization and social
maladjustment, costly not only to society but also to the lives of the many young people with FASD.