Previous challenges to the usefulness of traditional IQ measures in capturing the full range and magnitude of cognitive abilities have particular relevance for the assessment of persons with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). How the construct of intelligence is operationalized can be critical for these persons since IQ scores typically remain influential in decisions related to funding, as well as the identification of relevant intervention and supports. For some individuals with FASD, relatively high IQ scores preclude funding opportunities. In addition, the inherent limitations of traditional IQ tests restrict their usefulness in directing effective strategies for remediation. Early research in the area of FASD and advances in neuropsychology suggest that attention to cognitive processing per se, and particularly cognitive areas supported by the frontal lobe (e.g., executive functions) would provide more appropriate input to direct remedial planning for these individuals. (Frontal lobe abilities are closely aligned with the concept of adaptive functioning, and deficits in executive functioning are thought to underlie many of the challenges to daily living typically faced by persons with FASD.) One example of such a cognitive approach to intellectual assessment is the PASS (Planning, Attention, Successive, Simultaneous) model, which includes measures of planning and attention and has roots in both psychological theory and neuropsychology. Assessment information based on this model is relevant to both executive functioning and learning processes, and offers promise in providing meaningful input for remediation for persons with FASD.