How do I get a diagnosis of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder?

Currently there is no pathway to diagnosis of FASD in Ireland. However that does not mean that obtaining a diagnosis is impossible, just quite challenging! We know it shouldn't be this way, and regularly lobby Ministers to work with us and other agencies to change this.

You may have observed that some of the characteristics associated with FASD have become more noticeable as a child gets older. We know that symptoms start to become recognisable from the age of 5 and are fully recognisable by the age of 10. Primary School teachers  may have raised some academic or behavioural concerns that are causing the child to stand out from their classmates. A child with FASD is unlikely to be sleeping well at night, and is often awake when you check in on them during the night. You might just be wondering why the child is hyperactive, has a poor memory or different to the other children in the family. There are lots of reasons to think that a child may be living with FASD so we would recommend the first action would be to make an appointment with a GP to discuss concerns.

A GP will want to know if a child was exposed to alcohol during pregnancy (sometimes called in-utero) The mother may not have known about the pregnancy at the time, and even if the mother did know about the pregnancy, it is important to know that a GP will not make judgement or apportion blame for sharing this information. If the child has come from a care-experienced background, and you are their carer, you may not have access to this information. It is important to recognise that the past cannot be changed, and all of your energy should be focussed on supporting the child for their future. What matters most at this point is to try to obtain the correct diagnosis for the child, whatever that might be. A GP will ask you why you believe the child has FASD, and it is always useful to provide a diary of occasions when you have noticed that your child appears different or challenging in some way. This way you will remember as much as possible when you are answering the GPs questions.

The GP will consider what information has been shared, and the next action would be for them to make a referral to a Paediatrician that should know about FASD. The GP may also make a referral to the local HSE Children's Disability Network Team (CDNT) for an assessment of need (AON)  or to the HSE Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHs) so that the child can be assessed and you can both be supported by a Child Psychiatrist. If your GP or Pediatrician does not make a referral, you can still submit an 'Application for assessment of need' and submit to the HSE directly. Please ensure that you specify "Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder" in Section 4 of this form, and not the acronym FASD.

A diagnosis may take several months or longer to be made. This can be an extremely frustrating time for parents and carers, especially if your child is attending school or going through transition to second level education. We highly recommend that you speak to the SENCo (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) at your child's school to discuss your concerns, and see if an interim support plan can be put in place during any medical assessment and before a diagnosis is obtained. The SENCo. may know about FASD and should hopefully have plenty of strategies that will help support your child without any additional funding.

If your SENCo. has not heard of FASD, then we will be happy to speak with them - so put us in touch! You might even suggest they take part in one of our 'FASD in the Classroom' workshops.