Professor Penny Cook has been awarded the Pat Howlin Prize by the Society for the Study of Behavioural Phenotypes (SSBP) for research evaluating a new parenting programme for families of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
The prize recognises intervention-based research addressing learning or behavioural difficulties in people with genetic syndromes and related neurodevelopmental conditions. Penny presented the prize lecture at the SSBP Research Symposium (Edinburgh, September 2026), sharing findings from the SPECIFiC (Salford Parents and Carers’ Education Course for Improvements in FASD outcomes in Children) study.
The NIHR-funded study evaluated a seven-session, online psychoeducation programme co-developed with families and designed specifically for parents and carers of children with FASD. In the randomised feasibility trial, 119 caregivers were allocated to either SPECIFiC or treatment as usual, making it one of the largest randomised FASD intervention studies conducted to date.
The study found that SPECIFiC was feasible to deliver, had high participant retention and satisfaction, and could be delivered at relatively low cost. Most promisingly, caregivers receiving SPECIFiC showed a substantial improvement in parenting self-efficacy – their confidence in their ability to parent effectively – compared with treatment as usual.
The findings have now been published and provide important evidence to support progression to a larger definitive trial examining clinical and cost-effectiveness.
Penny said,
“Families frequently tell us that receiving an FASD diagnosis is only the beginning – they need practical, evidence-based support afterwards. It is wonderful to see our work on developing that support recognised by the Pat Howlin Prize.”
