Young children with fetal alcohol spetrum disorder - communication profiles

Abstract

The aim of the article is to describe the communication profiles of five young children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) from 4 to 58months of age. A collective case-study design following a quantitative and descriptive approach was used to describe the communication profilesof the participants. The results are described according to the participants’ case histories and a four-level early communication assessment framework.The significant findings were that all participants were in foster care, and presented with incomplete case histories, general developmentaldelays and delays regarding all aspects of their communication abilities. An increase in the severity of the spectrum disorder across the participants’combined communication profiles was also identified. Participants presented with complex multiple neurodevelopmental needs thatshould be viewed within a developmental systems and ecological framework. The importance of early identification, diagnosis and assessmentof infants and young children prenatally exposed to alcohol, the identification of precursors to communication impairment at a very early age,and the need for individualised early communication intervention to improve developmental outcomes within a family-centred approach arediscussed. Suggestions for future research to accumulate knowledge about FASD in the field of early communication intervention are made.

Ten years of evidence for the diagnostic assessment of preschoolers with prenatal alcohol exposure

“…28 Another study examining children between the ages of 4 and 58 months found that all participants with FASD showed language impairment, communication delay, verbosity, and some processing disorder. 29 These results were consistent with another study on preschool children, which also found that children with FASD had significantly impaired communication skills. 4…”

Linguagem no transtorno do espectro alcoólico fetal: uma revisão

“…This fact was also described in a prior study 33 . Studies with cases made up of younger individuals tend to report less-compromised clinical pictures than those with school-aged individuals 16,18 .…”

“…Studies with cases made up of younger individuals tend to report less-compromised clinical pictures than those with school-aged individuals 16,18 . However, the use of development scales has allowed researchers to identify delays of, at least, six months by individuals with FASD compared with their peers of the same chronological age and who have not been exposed to alcohol during pregnancy 16,18,20,21,33,34 . One aspect that must be considered when proposing a design for a study in the area of spoken language, including individuals in preschool age, is the relatively lower number of instruments available for this assessment, when compared with the instruments available for school-aged population.…”

Prevalence and associated prenatal and perinatal risk factors for oropharyngeal dysphagia in high-risk neonates in a South African hospital

“…In addition, OPD may be the result of structural impairments because of an underlying genetic condition (Blake & Hudson, 2017). High-risk infants in South Africa may be prenatally exposed to alcohol and other substance abuse (De Beer, Kritzinger, & Zsilavecz, 2010; Okoroh et al, 2017). Exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and antiretroviral treatment are additional risks in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) such as South Africa that may lead to subtle neurodevelopmental concerns influencing feeding (Salihu et al, 2012).…”