A Shift In Perspective On Secondary Disabilities In Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) often contend with daily life challenges. For many years, these have been called "secondary disabilities." Ranging widely, these are described as school disruption, legal problems, independent living needs, mental health difficulties, and more. Starting in the mid-1990's, in multiple countries, clinic-based and national register studies documented elevated rates of problems in adaptive behavior and secondary disabilities occurring for individuals with FASD (e.g., Streissguth et al., 1996; Streissguth et al., 2004; Spohr et al., 2007; Temple et al., 2011; Rangmar et al., 2015). Accumulating data revealed these challenges as ongoing, functionally impairing, and especially troubling as individuals with FASD advanced into adolescence and adulthood.