Why is Diagnosis Important?
Most people with FASD have no visible signs of prenatal alcohol exposure. Due to the strengths of individuals with FASDs, parents, teachers and others often don’t discover their deficits and set expectations they cannot meet. Their problems may be wrongly blamed on poor parenting or other disorders.
Early Diagnosis and intervention contribute to positive long-term outcomes.
Accurate diagnosis can:
- Validate that you are not crazy or a bad parent, etc. There is truly something wrong and now there is an actual name for it.
- Help the person with FASD receive appropriate services.
- Help parents and teachers develop appropriate strategies. The quality and type of intervention children with FASD receive truly matters.
- Teachers would have more understanding/compassion for the child.
- School is more ready and willing to work with a child who has a medical diagnosis.
- Help the child understand what is going on in his brain and what it means for his school experience and other situations
- Encourage in-depth knowledge and understanding of the disabilities associated with FASD. This is needed in order to plan and implement effective school and therapy services.
- Aid communication among clinicians, caregivers, educators, and families.
- Provide better self-awareness and understanding by family members.
- Rule out or maybe rule in other outlying obstacles such as ADD/ADHD
- Help people better understand that behavior difficulties may be masking a language impairment of individuals with FASD, thus they need to respond differently.
- Help parents find support groups with other parents who are going through this same journey.