Table 3 Social Communication and Behavioural Strategies
From: Systematic review of interventions for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Study quality | Participants (n), age, inclusion criteria and setting | Interventions and follow-up | Outcome measures |
|---|---|---|---|
O'Connor et al, 2006[22] Quasi – RCT Alternate allocation; blinding unclear; follow-up 93%; ITT analysis unclear; sample size calculation provided. | n = 100, 6 to 12 years FAS, Partial FAS or ARND[23] & social skills deficit & verbal IQ ≥ 70 Children with major sensory or motor deficits or a past diagnosis of mental retardation or pervasive developmental disorder were excluded Recruited from community, USA | CFT or delayed treatment Twelve 90-minute sessions over twelve weeks Parents attended concurrent information sessions on FASD and social skills Follow-up: 3 months | Test of Social Skills Knowledge: The CFT group showed significant improvement in knowledge compared to the control group (F(1, 90) = 56.52, p = 0.0001). At three months, social skills knowledge was maintained (t(48) = 1.07, p < 0.29). Social Skills Rating System Parent : social skills (F(1, 93) = 5.03, p < 0.03) and problem behaviours (F(1, 93) = 4.05, p < 0.05) significantly improved in the CFT group compared to the control group. At three months, parent reported social skills continued to improve (t(48) = 3.35, p < 0.002) and the decrease in problem behaviours was maintained (t(48) = 1.48, p < 0.15). Social Skills Rating System Teacher : no significant difference in social skills or problem behaviours between the groups immediately post-intervention or at three months. |
Timler, 2005[25] Pre- and post-intervention Blinding unclear | n = 1, 9 years FASD[23] Recruited from a Fetal Alcohol Clinic, USA | Social communication intervention Two one-hour individual sessions per week, then four two-hour group sessions Follow-up: 6 weeks | More strategies on how to behave in a variety of social situations. Increased number of mental state verbs used. |
Vernescu, 2007[26] RCT Randomized (method unclear); allocation concealment unclear; blinding unclear; follow up 100%; ITT analysis unclear; study power not provided. | n = 20, 6 to 12 years FASD Inuit children, Canada | Attention Process Training or contact sessions Follow-up: 3 weeks | Measures of sustained attention: children in the intervention group showed significant improvement. Measures of non-verbal reasoning ability: children in the intervention group showed significant improvement. Measures of executive function: no significant difference. |