An overview of family-focused interventions for supporting children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A scoping review.
Parent-mediated packages like Children’s Friendship Training and GoFAR cut behavior problems and caregiver stress in FASD, but we need bigger, stricter trials.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Benallal et al. (2026) mapped every family-focused program for kids with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. They screened papers, pulled out 17 studies, and grouped them by type. The team looked at Children’s Friendship Training, GoFAR, Alert Program, and MILE. They asked two questions: Do these programs help the child? Do they lower caregiver stress?
What they found
Most programs showed positive signs. Kids acted out less and made more friends. Parents felt less stress and used calmer words. But the studies used different rulers: some counted tantrums, others counted smiles. That mix means we can’t yet say one program is best.
How this fits with other research
Reid et al. (2017) tested a home-based mindfulness version of Parents under Pressure. They also saw better child self-control, so the new review widens the menu. Cruz-Montecinos et al. (2024) followed families 4.5 months after Positive Behavior Support coaching. Parents still used the tricks, showing the skills stick. These single studies fit inside the bigger map Larbi drew.
Bertrand (2009) told a story of five early FASD projects. That narrative was hopeful but thin on detail. Larbi now gives a fuller shelf of options, so the field has moved from “try something” to “try these four named packages.”
Pruner et al. (2020) let parents vent: early help often skips social-emotional needs. Larbi’s review answers that call by listing programs that teach friendship and feelings, not just rules.
Why it matters
You now have a short list of ready-made parent courses. If a family waits months for clinic slots, offer Children’s Friendship Training or GoFAR homework while they wait. Coach parents to layer antecedent tweaks from PBS, too. One concrete action: pick one program, print the parent workbook, and start session one next visit. Track smiles, not just tantrums, and you add to the evidence base.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
PURPOSE: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, associated with academic difficulties, motor impairments, language deficits, and executive function challenges. These difficulties extend beyond the individual child, placing stress on caregivers and creating unique needs within the family system. A scoping review was conducted to synthesize empirical evidence on family-focused interventions designed to support both children with FASD and their caregivers. METHODS: A comprehensive search of Google Scholar, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Medline, and PubMed identified 521 peer-reviewed articles published between 2003 and 2025. Twenty-two studies met inclusion criteria, including quantitative (n = 18) and mixed-methods (n = 4) designs. RESULTS: Core interventions identified included Children's Friendship Training, GoFAR, the Alert Program, and the MILE intervention. Most studies reported positive outcomes, with approximately two-thirds demonstrating reductions in children's internalizing and externalizing behaviours and over one-third reporting improvements in social skills and decreases in caregiver stress. However, variability in study design, measures, and reporting limited cross-study comparisons and generalisability. CONCLUSION: Findings support the potential of family-focused interventions to reduce child behavioural difficulties and caregiver stress while improving family functioning. Future research should seek to prioritize randomized controlled trials, standardized outcome measures, and greater attention to cultural adaptability and long-term follow-up.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2026 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.105191