Only about 1/3 of children with FASD will receive a correct diagnosis. Many will not
receive a diagnosis at all, and will suffer from Secondary Disabilities due to their inability to meet the high expectations
placed on them by families, schools, employers and society. Most will receive a mental health diagnosis such as: - ADHD
- ODD
- Mood Disorders (Bipolar/Depression)
- PDD
- Impulse
Control Disorder
- Intermittent Explosive Disorder
- Learning Disabilities, often Complex Learning
Disabilities
* Establish a history of alcohol use during pregnancy
- Interviews with birth parents, other
family members and people who knew the mother during
pregnancy.
- Accessing records from social services, post adoption services, court records, and prenatal records.
- It
is important to get the child’s case worker involved in getting this information and getting a referral for an evaluation.
- It is helpful, but not absolutely necessary, to have documentation of the birthmother’s alcohol
use history during pregnancy.
*Other helpful information
- Is there a family history
of alcohol use/abuse?
- Are siblings diagnosed with FASD
- Social service history
- Establish
the amount of alcohol used and consumption pattern during pregnancy if possible.
- Fathers use of alcohol
*Pregnancy
History
- Premature Birth
- Other drug
use
- Illness during pregnancy
- Prenatal care
- Nutrition
*Developmental
History
- Birth Weight
- Milestones
- Records
of height and weight
- Health history (ear infections, failure to thrive)
- Infant development assessment
- Copies
of assessments
- Any diagnoses made
*Benefits of early diagnosis
Early
diagnosis with proper intervention may decrease the appearance and attenuate the course of secondary disabilities. A
diagnosis of full-blown Fetal Alcohol Syndrome before the age of 6 can help to prevent some secondary disabilities.
Unfortunately, only about 11% of children with FASD symptoms will receive a diagnosis before age six.
Because more
than 90% of children with FASD have mental health problems, a psychiatric assessment should always be considered when screening
for FASD.
The best time to identify characteristics begins at around 3 to 4 years of age and continues to about age
12 or 13. Facial features and growth changes in adolescents makes it harder to diagnose FAS.
In a survey taken of
members of a large online support group, foster parents who are familiar with symptoms of FASD report that they suspect at
least 75% of their foster children may have FASD.
This is in agreement with a large study done at the University of Washington that determined
that the prevalence of FASD in foster care was nearly 70%. Children in foster care are at very high risk of have an FASD.
