Helpdesk
Welcome to the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) learning site for Scotland's health and social care workforce.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a term used to identify the range of physical, emotional and neurodevelopmental differences that may affect a person if they were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy.
FASD is frequently described as a neurodevelopmental condition. This term describes a collection of disorders that are a consequence of altered development of the brain and nervous system. Evidence indicates that early and accurate identification of brain differences and support needs can facilitate better outcomes for those affected.
All staff across health and social care should be able to learn about FASD as it is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions in the Western world. Prenatal alcohol exposure is a significant public health issue for Scotland, with an estimated 1 in 7 babies born at risk of FASD. In the UK the estimated prevalence of FASD is 3.25 - 5% (which is 3-4 times greater than the prevalence rate of autism).
FASD is a lifelong condition associated with various adverse outcomes. Without early diagnosis and appropriate support starting in childhood, FASD is associated with secondary disabilities including reduced educational attainment and outcomes, mental health and addiction problems, involvement with the criminal justice system, and premature death from violence, accidents and suicide.
Timely intervention can ameliorate such risks allowing individuals to achieve their full potential.
A number of resources and training materials exist for the health and social care workforce:
Designed to give you a detailed overview of FASD, this online 90-minute training course will provide you with an increased understanding of:
Sessions are run regularly throughout the year. Please register for an upcoming session via the FAAST Team Eventbrite page.
To enable health and social care professionals to identify and support individuals with FASD and their families, the Scottish Government funded Fetal Alcohol Advisory Support and Training (FAAST) Team have created a number of online courses to meet learning needs across all levels: skilled, informed, enhanced and experienced.
Those who are involved in neurodevelopmental pathway or assessment work may wish to consider our post graduate certificate in FASD. Further details about this can be found under Training and Professional Education Courses on the training page of the FAAST website.
We offer two part-time, 10-week, online courses designed to fit around full-time posts, which can contribute to a postgraduate certificate:
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The Assessment and Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (Online) |
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September 2023 next start date |
January 2024 next start date |
Both courses are delivered once annually; places are limited, and early applications are encouraged.
There are a wide range of resources available to view and download on the Fetal Alcohol Advisory Support and Training (FAAST) Team website: Resources - Fetal Alcohol Advisory Support & Training Service (ed.ac.uk). These include topics such as ‘What is FASD?’ and ‘The importance of early, accurate, diagnosis and support’. The FAAST Team also have free downloadable resources for parents, carers, educators and professionals.
For professionals who are involved in neurodevelopmental MDTs these resources are also available: Professional portal - Fetal Alcohol Advisory Support & Training Service (ed.ac.uk)
FASD Makes Me, Me animation has been codeveloped with input, advice, feedback and ideas from young people with FASD, their siblings and parents/carers from the FASD Hub Scotland community.
The Fetal Alcohol Advisory Support & Training Team (FAASTT) is funded by the Scottish Government and has a national remit to support health and social care professionals in their work with children and adults affected by FASD in Scotland. The team provides and facilitates training, consultation and research to enhance the capacity, knowledge and confidence of Scotland’s health and social care workforce in their work with those affected by FASD.
If you are a professional who would like a clinical consultation on a specific case, please register at the professional portal and submit your request directly to the team.
FASD Hub Scotland provide a support service for parents/carers (adoptive and biological parents, foster carers, kinship carers and step-parents) across Scotland who live with children, young people and young adults who have a history of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), with or without an FASD diagnosis.
The service extends to provide a point of reference and training for professionals who work with and support these families (social work, education and other third sector organisations/charities) within Scotland.