title: Neurocognitive habilitation therapy for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: an adaptation of the Alert Program®.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated the effectiveness of neurocognitive habilitation, a group therapy intervention for foster and adoptive caregivers and their children who were prenatally exposed to alcohol.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were recruited from clients seeking evaluation for fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) and were randomly assigned to treatment and no-treatment control groups. Forty children participated in the treatment program and were compared with 38 control participants using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and the Roberts Apperception Test for Children (RATC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences between the treatment and control groups were demonstrated on the BRIEF and on the RATC, suggesting that the intervention improved executive functioning and emotional problem-solving skills.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings yield promising evidence of the effectiveness of the neurocognitive habilitation intervention in improving executive functioning and emotional problem solving in children with FAS or ARND.
authors.affiliation: Children's Research Triangle, 180 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 700, Chicago, IL 60601, USA. awells@cr-triangle.org
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: Ira J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Chasnoff
authors.forename: Christine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Telford
authors.forename: Linda D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011340:Problem Solving