ABSTRACT Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder affects an estimated 3–5% of the population and results in numerous functional deficits in cognitive, social, and adaptive skills. Additionally, it is estimated that 60% of those who have FASD will become involved in the criminal justice system at some point in their life. Given the high percentage of those with FASD who become involved in the criminal justice system and the significant functional deficits that they experience, it is essential that forensic evaluators become familiar with FASD. It is also important that evaluators are familiar with how this disorder may impair an individual’s ability to participate adequately in the criminal justice system, including competency to stand trial. This article will provide some basic information about the need for forensic evaluators, and those who may refer defendants to forensic evaluators (e.g., attorneys, social workers, jail mental health staff), to become informed about FASD in order to conduct thorough and complete evaluations of competence to stand trial. Because little research has been completed on this issue, information presented in this article is based on literature review and clinical experiences. Basic information about the symptoms of FASD that impact competence to stand trial (CST) as well as proposed techniques for conducting a thorough assessment of CST when relevant FASD symptoms are present will be discussed. Finally, recommendations for training forensic mental health professionals about FASD and its potential impact on a defendant’s competency-related abilities are offered and suggestions for future research are presented.

中文翻译：

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胎儿酒精性谱系疾病（FASD）和审判能力（CST）：呼吁法医鉴定人员了解情况

摘要胎儿酒精频谱疾病影响了估计的3–5％的人口，并导致认知，社交和适应技能的许多功能缺陷。此外，据估计，患有FASD的人中有60％将在其生活中的某个时候参与刑事司法系统。考虑到参与刑事司法系统的FASD人员比例很高，并且他们遇到的重大功能缺陷，法医评估人员必须熟悉FASD。重要的是，评估人员必须熟悉这种疾病如何损害个人充分参与刑事司法系统的能力，包括受审判权。本文将提供有关法医鉴定师需求的一些基本信息，以及可能将被告转介到法医评估人员（例如律师，社会工作者，监狱精神卫生人员）的人，以了解有关FASD的信息，以便进行全面而完整的评估审判能力。由于对此问题的研究尚未完成，因此本文提供的信息基于文献综述和临床经验。将讨论有关FASD症状的基本信息，这些症状会影响到抗辩能力（CST），以及当存在相关FASD症状时建议进行彻底评估CST的技术。最后，为培训法医精神卫生专业人员提供了有关FASD及其对被告与胜任能力相关能力的潜在影响的建议，并提出了未来研究的建议。