The Association Between Performance-Based Measures and Caregiver Ratings of Executive Functioning Among Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Research to date has found discrepancies between performance-based measures and caregiver ratings of executive functioning among children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). These studies are limited by the participant sample, the assessment measures available, and the type of analyses used to examine this relationship. The main objective of the current study was to extend the literature on the association between tests and caregiver ratings of executive functioning by addressing limitations of past research and examining this association among children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) with and without a diagnosis of FASD. Participants were 212 children with PAE, including 99 children with and 113 without FASD. Caregiver ratings and most of the scores on tests of executive functioning were above and below the normative mean range, respectively. None of the correlations between tests and caregiver ratings of executive functioning were significant across the groups. The results of this study suggest that tests and caregiver ratings of executive functioning may not measure the same construct or other factors may be impacting the strength and significance of the relationship. Directions for future research and clinical implications are provided.