Support for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and their family

Support for a person with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) diagnosis or confirmed history of prenatal alcohol exposure (whose clinical presentation does not necessarily fulfil diagnostic criteria for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder) involves:

referring for early intervention for identified neurodevelopmental problems to develop skills in those areas (eg targeted training in social skills, self-regulation, attention)
individualised learning, educational and vocational support to optimise future outcomes
ongoing support and management of health, behavioural and social concerns according to the person’s needs, strengths and impairments; for advice on useful assessment and management referrals, see Facilitating a multidisciplinary approach to care of people with developmental disability.

For general advice on supporting a person with developmental disability, see here. National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding may be available to facilitate assessments, support and interventions to optimise function and social participation.

The National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (NOFASD) Australia has information on support for:

The role of the general practitioner (GP) in support for the family or caregivers of people with developmental disability is discussed here. It may be helpful to discuss the person’s difficulties and behaviour in the context that the person has suffered a brain injury from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE).

Optimise the wellbeing of birth mothers and prevent further alcohol-exposed pregnancies by:

advocating for additional supports through family or case workers
sensitively discussing the affected person’s fetal alcohol spectrum disorder assessment or diagnosis with the birth mother (even if they are not actively involved in the person’s care)
connecting the birth mother to support services and organisations or parent groups (eg National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder [NOFASD])
sensitively discussing their reproductive plans and contraception, and the risks of drinking in pregnancy, including before pregnancy awareness.