Narrative Discourse and Vocabulary in the Population with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): A Case Study

Abstract

Narrative discourse is a complex task that involves linguistic, cognitive, social, and affective skills. The level of development and performance found when evaluating this task are good predictors of oral language proficiency and reading comprehension. Moreover, narrative discourse significantly influences communicative interactions and social dynamics Conversely, children diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) often exhibit compromised narrative discourse due to associated linguistic and cognitive challenges. However, evidence is still scarce on this matter. The objective of this study was to describe the narrative discourse and vocabulary in individuals with FASD. To this end, narrative discourse was evaluated in 19 people between the ages of 6.6 and 17.7 years diagnosed with FASD, using the story "Frog, Where Are You". Additionally, micro- and macro-structural analyses of narrative discourse were conducted employing the Monitoring Indicators of Scholarly Language (MISL) index, and vocabulary was assessed using the Peabody test. At the macro-structural level, the discourse of the population with FASD was characterized by the presence of a singular protagonist, the use of non-specific names, generic temporal and spatial references, little or no connection between described events, low complexity, an absence of emotion, and the use of action verbs. At the micro-structural level, they exhibited grammatical errors, as well as minimal use of subordinating conjunctions, adverbs, metacognitive and metalinguistic verbs, and nominal phrases. Vocabulary was well below chronological age expectations. In conclusion, an impairment in narrative discourse and vocabulary is evident in the population with FASD, significantly impacting their communication and social performance. Consequently, narrative discourse performance may serve as a diagnostic indicator for FASD. These difficulties require early, interdisciplinary intervention that encourages educational and social inclusion.