Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

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Our research program is one of the first systematic studies of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) intervention.

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We are helping families who are raising children with FASD better understand and manage their children's behavior and feel more effective as parents.

When children are exposed to alcohol before birth, they can have lifelong learning and behavior problems, called "fetal alcohol spectrum disorders" or FASD. While research tells us a great deal about how to diagnose FASD and is starting to describe the many difficulties these children face as they grow up, research on how to successfully intervene with FASD and how to improve the lives of these children and their families is new. Our research program in the Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development is one of the first systematic studies of FASD intervention. Our current projects include:

  • A community-based research study in which we are helping families who are raising children with FASD better understand and manage their children’s behavior and feel more effective as parents. We hope to train providers in other communities to use this specialized intervention.
  • A plan to develop practical treatments for FASD children with sleep problems based on new information we have recently uncovered.
  • Studying learning difficulties in FASD children so we can create useful educational interventions and exploring the problems these children have in early "self-regulation" so we can find ways to provide direct treatment early in life.