JFAS Int 2007;5:e2 - February 5, 2007
Parental Ratings of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)

Carmen Rasmussen¹, Rosalyn McAuley¹, Gail Andrew^2
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, ²Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, Canada

Children with FASD typically display deficits on cognitive measures of executive functioning, but the goal of this study was to examine performance of children with FASD on a behavioral measure of executive function using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Participants were 64 children (aged 5 to 16 years) with FASD. These children showed significant deficits on the BRIEF, with mean scores on all scales reaching clinical significance. A distinctive pattern was also found, with the children showing most difficulty on Inhibit, Working Memory, and Initiate scales and least difficulty on Organization of Materials. Females demonstrated substantial difficulty with inhibition and older children had more difficulty (relative to the norm) than younger children on scales measuring working memory and initiation. The BRIEF appears to be a useful tool for evaluating behavioral, social, and emotional aspects of executive functioning in children with FASD.

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