Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
Bower, C., & Elliott, E. J. (2020).
Canberra (Australia): Australian Government Department of Health, 1-103.
This is a clinical practice guideline providing recommendations on the diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in children.
Australian Government Department of Health
Assessment of individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder should ideally be conducted by a multidisciplinary team. This team should include a pediatrician or adolescent physician and psychologist with any combination of the following (depending on the availability of the trained professionals):
<ul>
<li>speech pathologist;</li>
<li>occupational therapist;</li>
<li>social worker; and </li>
<li>physical therapists.</li>
</ul>
A diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) does not necessarily require assessment of all areas. Assessment areas should be prioritized based on the individual’s functional difficulties, age, and capacity for testing. However, adaptive behavior, social skills, or social communication should be assessed in all individuals. The following areas should be considered in the diagnostic evaluation of FASD:
<ul>
<li>brain structure/neurology;</li>
<li>motor skills;</li>
<li>cognition;</li>
<li>language;</li>
<li>academic achievement; </li>
<li>memory;</li>
<li>attention;</li>
<li>executive control (e.g., impulse control, hyperactivity);</li>
<li>affect regulation; and</li>
<li>adaptive behavior, social skills, or social communication.</li>
</ul>
