Continuing & Professional Studies, Palo Alto University

This self-paced training program on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and Suggestibility is presented by Jerrod Brown, PhD.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a complex and lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. Individuals with FASD often experience a diverse set of clinical symptoms including executive function (e.g., cognitive flexibility, inhibition, working memory) and adaptive functioning (independent living skills, communication, social skill ability) limitations. Further, individuals with FASD often present with co-occurring psychiatric (e.g., anxiety and depression) and medical health disorders (e.g., sleep disorders). As a result of FASD and these comorbid conditions, along with other individual- and environmental-level factors, individuals with FASD are at an elevated risk of suggestibility. Suggestibility is the predisposition to (a) accept inaccurate information as accurate, and then (b) incorporate this inaccurate information into one’s own memories of an event. Susceptibility to suggestibility places an individual with FASD at significant disadvantages throughout all stages of the criminal justice (e.g., arrest, investigative interviews, confinement, probation, and parole), forensic mental health (e.g., screening, evaluation, risk assessment, and treatment), and legal systems (e.g., trial, cross-examination, and sentencing). Intended for professionals working in these settings, this training is designed to foster greater awareness and understanding of FASD and suggestibility while identifying ways to conduct interviews in a manner that minimizes the risk of suggestibility and increase the chances of gaining accurate and factually correct information. Topics such as confabulation, adverse childhood experiences, attachment issues, executive function, Theory of Mind (ToM), and language development will also be discussed in the context of their relation to FASD and suggestibility. Empirically-based research findings and case study examples will be highlighted throughout this training.