Abstract
BACKGROUND: Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are at high risk for secondary conditions, including mental health difficulties. Data on both children with typical development and other clinical conditions suggest that limited emotional understanding (EU) raises risk for psychopathology, but little is known about EU in FASD. OBJECTIVES: To determine if EU is a reasonable treatment target for children with FASD. METHODS: 56 children (6-13 years) with FASD completed the Kusche Affective Interview-Revised, a verbal interview measure of EU. RESULTS: Children showed striking delays in EU (2-5 years delay) relative to published normative data, despite mean IQ (IQ=94.56) within normal limits. Individual variability was considerable even after accounting for age and verbal IQ. CONCLUSIONS: Despite variability in individual differences, treatments targeting EU may benefit children with FASD as components within a comprehensive, tailored intervention focused on child self-regulation and caregiver behavior management.