Learn About FASD
What is FASD?
FASD stands for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. It is a medical diagnosis that refers to the “lifelong disability that affects the brain and body of people who were exposed to alcohol in the womb. Each person with FASD has both strengths and challenges and will need special supports to help them succeed with many different parts of their daily lives” (CanFASD, 2021) throughout their lifespan.
These could include challenges with motor skills, physical health, learning, memory, attention, emotional regulation, and social skills.
Characteristics of FASD
FASD is a spectrum disorder, so it affects people in different ways. This means that each person with FASD will have their own unique strengths and challenges.
Strengths
Individuals with FASD have many varying strengths. Common strengths that are observed with those with FASD include:
- Determined/Persist
- Helpful
- Good with younger or older children
- Friendly, affectionate
- Resourceful
- Resilient
- Generous
- Highly verbal (good story tellers)
- Humorous
- Bright in some areas such as art, music, mechanics, athletics
- Kind
- Affectionate
Download Strengths Among Individuals with FASD:
Common Challenges
- Inconsistent memory and recall
- Inability to filter out environmental or emotional distractions and sensory stimuli
- Slow and inconsistent cognitive and auditory processing
- Decreased mental stamina
- Difficulty interpreting and applying abstract concepts (for example, managing
money and time) - Impulsivity and poor judgment
- Inability to predict outcomes (of their own or others’ actions)
- Difficulty shifting from one context to another
- Resistance to change
- Inability to see another person’s perspective
- Inability to recognize indirect social cues
- Dysmaturity (widely varying levels of maturity in different areas of development such as expressive language and language comprehension, social and self-care skills, and awareness and regulation of emotions.)
- These disabilities can cause a “poor fit” between the abilities of the individual and many of society’s age-based social and academic expectations. Examples include: frustration, anxiety, depression, avoidance/shut down, poor self esteem, isolation.
- Chronic “poor fit”, anger, failure and alienations can manifest in: trouble in school –truancy/ drop out, involvement with social services and/or justice systems, addictions, homelessness, mental health problems.
Prevention
FASD prevention is about more than just raising awareness about the risk of exposing a pregnancy to alcohol. To learn more, review these common messages to provide consistent, clear information for those who are working to prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).