FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) is the “catch all” term used in place of other terminology such as:

• FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)
• FAE (Fetal Alcohol Effects)
• ARND (Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder)

What does it mean to you?

O.K. now that we have all the technical information out of the way, what does that mean to you as a parent or caregiver and your child?

There is no cure for FASD.  Individuals diagnosed with FASD have organic brain damage.  Some call it the “Swiss Cheese Effect” or “Holes in the Brain”.  This is a disability that is 100% preventable.

Statistics show it as a leading cause of mental retardation and developmental disabilities in both Canada and the United States.  The physical characteristics of FASD differ in each child.  Your child may have some or all of these features:

Some of the ways that FASD can effect your child are: 

Children with FASD are socially immature.  They have poor reasoning skills, poor social judgment and are easily influenced by peers. 

For example, Suzie’s “friend” can easily talk her into stealing a candy bar from the store.  The friend won’t stick around when it’s time for consequences and Suzie will end up getting blamed for the inappropriate behavior. 

Consequently, children with FASD require a high level of supervision. 

Individuals with FASD often have a difficult time maintaining relationships.  They don’t have personal boundaries or feel the need to respect others personal space.  It feels like they’re “in your face”.  At first, they may seem very engaging and approachable, but then become intrusive.  They may have difficulty bonding to caregivers.

Children do not know what a stranger means and will not discriminate.  Anyone Suzie meets instantly is her “friend”.  Suzie will tell you about her “friend” that she played with at the park one time and not even know the person’s name.  You won’t have any details as to who this person was and if they were a friend or stranger.  Supervision is needed in this area as kids can so easily be led astray.

These kids can talk the talk but they can’t walk the walk, meaning they can mimic and imitate what is being told to them by parents and professionals, but often have no idea how to carry it out.

These are just some examples of what you may face as the parent or caregiver of a FASD child, and we’ll get into it much further in future posts. 

That being said, a mistake often made when working with alcohol affected children is thinking that because they have this disability, they  are all the same.  Although a lot of the intellectual, social and emotional issues may be similar, it is important to remember that these kids are individuals who have their own unique personalities, strengths and challenges. 

What works well for one child may not be effective with another child.  As parents (biological, adoptive or foster) and caregivers of FASD children, it is your job to find out what does work well for your child.

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