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Child welfare services (CWSs) globally continue to absorb high rates of children living with or suspected of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Such high prevalence rates render CWS with major ethical and moral dilemmas of meeting complex needs. Currently, many jurisdictions are challenged by diagnostic capacity and cost implications of formal FASD diagnosis. This paper aims to recommend a screening protocol to address management gap between FASD initial presentation and formal diagnosis.

This is a follow-up paper from a grounded-theory study of a sample (N = 18) of child welfare social workers (CWSWs), allied health professionals and foster parents. A stepwise protocol was developed through systematical interpretation of the final data.

The application of a five-step screening protocol would greatly support CWSW in meeting the needs of children with suspected FASD. This CWSWs-led assessment model incorporates a clinical evaluation to exclude neurodevelopmental conditions caused by known genetic disorders, followed by behavioral and neurocognitive psychosocial assessments.

This study had several limitations. Firstly, as a specific social work-based sample, it is not necessarily representative of the wider population of social workers globally due to different cultural responses to FASD in CWSs. The transferability of findings will have to be considered due to cultural variations concerning FASD.

By offering a management and nonlabeling approach, this five-step screening protocol offers a delineated pathway for CWSW and addresses the major professional frustrations while seeking to plan safe care for a child suspected of having FASD.

The research offers a pragmatic low-cost to society to alleviate the mounting social and monetary implications of FASD. A large percentage of children impacted by prenatal alcohol exposure do not qualify under formal clinical diagnostic guidelines. Leaving these children without intervention is problematic. The recommendation of this study addresses this critical gap in services. The primary aim is to alleviate the burden on this cohort of vulnerable children by offering nonlabeling neurodevelopmental screening.

The direct implications of FASD and how it impacts CWS are well documented. However, few studies focus on the critical interface of FASD and the role of CWSW responsible for planning their safe care. This paper offers a novel pragmatic and functional multistep protocol to aid CWSW in this complex area of practice.

In the early 1970s, clinical evidence emerged documenting causal links between prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and children’s behaviors as observed by child welfare social workers (CWSWs). Unfortunately, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) remain on the margins of public health priorities. The purpose of this study was to elicit the views of child welfare social workers when responding to case of or suspected FASD.

A sample (N = 18) of CWSWs, allied health professionals and foster parents were interviewed.

Findings indicate that social workers struggle with their statutory duty to plan safe care for children with or suspected of having FASD. Emergent themes include struggling with advocacy, professional devaluation and lack of procedural guidance.

Social workers need a clear pathway and FASD knowledge to guide their interventions and enhance their capacity to advocate for affected children.

An abundance of research documents the direct effect of PAE on physical, cognitive and behavioral outcomes. However, few studies focus on the critical interface of children with an FASD entering public care and the social workers responsible for planning their safe care. This study sought to document social workers’ response to this vulnerable cohort of children.

The purpose of this paper is to present a profile of the Canada fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (CanFASD) research network which is descriptive in nature and profiles the work of the network and its national activities. CanFASD is a unique Canadian, non-governmental organization whose aim is to engage cross-disciplinary research and knowledge translation for stakeholders and partners including communities, policy makers and governments.

A case study approach was undertaken to describe the network whose main focus and purpose is specifically research related to FASD.

The creation of CanFASD has contributed to a strong network of researchers on key topic areas including diagnosis, prevention, intervention, justice and child welfare, with a focus on evidence-based decision making, research and knowledge exchange. A key role of the network is to provide access to research and education on FASD nationally.

A case study approach, while descriptive, does not provide the details of specific research projects.

CanFASD has had a key role in stimulating meaningful dialogue and research in the field of FASD. The need exists to collaboratively work on a national and international basis in response to the distinct challenges posed by FASD for individuals, families and society.

The majority of individuals diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) will become involved with the criminal justice system during their lifetime. Due to the signs and symptoms of their illness, the psycholegal impairments presented by such alleged offenders pose unique challenges for the attorneys tasked with prosecuting their crimes. That said, little is known about the training and courtroom background of district attorneys with this population. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

A web-based survey was developed to investigate the knowledge bases and legal experiences of US District Attorneys concerning FASD, and to compare these across sexes, legal experience levels, as well as geographical regions. The survey was distributed electronically to all US District Attorneys following the Dillman Total Design Method. Surveys were completed by 216 respondents (men, n=166; women, n=50; Northeast, n=32; South, n=102; Midwest, n=36; West, n=46) with an average of 25.03 years (SD=10.71) of legal experience.

Participants displayed variable levels of knowledge concerning the signs and symptoms of FASD and underestimated how often persons with FASD become involved in the criminal justice system. The majority of participants had never received training on the psycholegal impairments of individuals diagnosed with FASD and reported that they would benefit from a Continuing Legal Education course on the subject. Participants also reported that they would benefit from seeing the findings of an FASD screening tool in daily practice.

First survey of legal professionals’ perceptions of FASD.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term for a range of conditions that may occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. There has been little research into the experience of birth mothers of children with FASD and no published work of this kind in the UK. This is in contrast to a number of studies that have been conducted on foster/adoptive parents. In light of the recent publication in the UK of a mixed methods study on adoptive carers, it is timely to conduct research on birth mothers in the UK. The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of birth mothers following a diagnosis of FASD in their children.

An interpretive phenomenological analytical approach was used to generate themes from individual semi-structured interviews of five women who are birth mothers of children with FASD.

Four superordinate main themes and various subthemes were identified. To blame or not to blame captures the tension the mothers experience when considering the cause of their child’s condition. Life is a series of battles which describes the struggles the women experience on a crusade with a renewed sense of purpose that captures the process of transformation that occurs, which helps describe the internal and external factors that help the mothers cope.

FASD is often described in the literature as being completely preventable with the implication that it is the mother’s fault because they drank alcohol during pregnancy. However, a statement like this fails to portray the complexities of the phenomenon of women drinking during pregnancy. Life is difficult for the women for a number of different reasons, yet a sense of hope is present. The mothers have a renewed sense of purpose to do the best they can for their child and to raise awareness of FASD. Understanding their experiences can help service providers better meet the needs of parents and children affected by FASD.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a complex lifelong disorder impacting the brain and body. Individuals with FASD may require lifelong supports and are at a higher risk of experiencing adverse outcomes, including incarceration. Individuals with FASD face stigma related to FASD that impacts disclosure of the diagnosis and access to supports. The prevalence of FASD exceeds that of other developmental disabilities, yet it remains less visible and stigmatized.

Interviews conducted with health-care and justice professionals in a Canadian province explore their experiences attending to FASD and challenges of stigma.

While difficult to access, diagnosis provides a pathway to supports and is crucial in the criminal justice process. Visibility and invisibility in health and justice systems highlight the lack of understanding of FASD and surrounding stigma. When unaddressed, individuals with FASD face additional challenges stemming from a lack of information and strategies by professionals involved in their lives.

Stigma represents a significant and complex issue intertwined in understandings of FASD. This research explores this relationship and the mechanisms through which FASD stigma has impacts in health-care and justice settings.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are a group of developmental disabilities related to prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD is a life-long lasting condition with various neurocognitive impairments and deficits in daily-life functioning. Research also indicates that FASD patients have an increased prevalence for substance use, substance related disorders and other psychiatric disorders. In Germany, data on adult FASD patients and their mental health are rare. The purpose of this paper is to describe substance use and comorbid psychiatric disorders (in addition to FASD) and suicide attempts in adult FASD patients.

The German version of the structured “Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)” was administered to a convenience sample of patients attending a specialized FASD diagnostic service at a German university hospital to assess psychiatric disorders. Current and lifetime substance use were examined using sections from the German version of the “European Addiction Severity Index (EUROP-ASI-R)” interview.

In total, 31 adults with FASD were included. Two patients were diagnosed with a substance related disorder, one for alcohol and one for cannabis. Nearly half of all patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for mild mental retardation, a further 16 per cent fulfilled the criteria for another current comorbid psychiatric disorder. In total, 26 per cent reported at least one suicide attempt.

Given that the body of research literature on FASD in adulthood is sparse, even a clinical sample of thirty individuals expands knowledge on mental health and substance use in the adult FASD population. The sample was comprehensively assessed using validated structured interviews on mental health, substance use and FASD.

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a scoping review of the literature to explore the many ways stigma affects people with FASD and to highlight the disciplines and places where discourse on FASD and stigma is taking place.

Searches were conducted in PubMed, ERIC, Family & Society Studies Worldwide, Families Studies Abstracts and Google Scholar between 2008 and 2018. Search terms focused on stigma, shame and the connection to FASD with a view to looking across social and medical science literature.

Searches identified 39 full text manuscripts, 13 of which were included in the scoping review. Stigma toward people with FASD exists in multiple professional forums across disciplines. The relationship between mother’s use of alcohol and the lasting impact on the child is a focus in the articles identified from a public health perspective. The review showed there was limited cross-disciplinary discussion evident. In total 13 articles were selected for inclusion in this review.

Negative discourses predominate with little attention being paid to possible areas of success as well as cases of lower FASD impacts. There is a significant void in work focusing on positive outcomes for people with FASD. Such discourse would support a better understanding of pathways to more positive outcomes.

This paper highlights the issue of FASD and stigma through identification of relevant literature and expands the conversation to offer insights into the challenging terrain that individuals with FASD must navigate. The issue of stigma is not linked only to individuals with FASD but also their support systems. It is critical to recognize the multiple attributions of stigma to FASD in order to effectively take up conversations across and between disciplines to promote new discourses focused on de-stigmatization.

Persons diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are more likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system than general population controls. Although previous survey evidence has suggested that federal district attorneys are limited in their knowledge of the psycholegal impairments presented by defendants with this condition, such research has yet to have been conducted with state-specific public defenders. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The Dillman Total Design Method was used to disseminate an electronic survey to public defenders in Minnesota. The survey included questions designed to measure their knowledge bases on and legal experiences with FASD. Surveys were completed by 135 respondents (n_Men=63; n_Women=72) with an average of 16.22 years (SD=11.34) of legal experience.

Respondents varied in their knowledge bases on the cognitive impairments, social deficits, and physical complications characteristic of FASD. Less than 20 percent of respondents reported having received training on the psycholegal impairments experienced by individuals diagnosed with FASD from arrest until the start of adjudication, during adjudication, or during incarceration. Over 95 percent of respondents reported that they could benefit from a Continuing Legal Education course on the psycholegal impairments of individuals diagnosed with FASD, and over 90 percent reported that they could benefit from being provided the findings of a screening tool for FASD in their daily practice.

First survey of state public defenders’ perceptions of FASD.

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the experiences and practices of social and community service professionals working with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) or suspected FASD in New Zealand.

The research examined professionals’ empirical experience of working with FASD or suspected FASD. In total, 21 participants working in practice settings relevant to dual diagnosis were interviewed, with each interview being of 1–2 h duration. The interview data were transcribed and coded using the constant-comparative method in order to derive themes.

Participants identified a number of barriers to understanding or working with FASD: the limited knowledge of FASD and the absence of FASD from training contexts, difficulty obtaining institutional support and the challenge of working without a diagnosis. Participants also articulated a range of strategies for approaching FASD within the identified barriers of their practice contexts, specifically: working with alternative diagnoses, focussing on adjusting expectations, adopting a strengths-based approach, actively advocating for clients when working with other sectors and systems and focussing on prevention education.

This research expands the knowledge base for social and community service practice in contexts where FASD maybe a factor contributing to poor health and well-being outcomes for clients. It clarifies the challenges that professionals face when encountering FASD or suspected FASD in their work, reveals key gaps in individual and systemic knowledge about FASD and provides new insight into what professionals do to address these challenges. It also adds to the body of research concerning FASD in the Australasian context more broadly.