Transcript
I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this land I’m on, the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.
While we know that early diagnosis and intervention are the best and most cost-effective methods for reducing the impact of FASD, there are significant barriers to assessment and diagnosis, and the demand for FASD assessment in Australia is far greater than the availability of diagnostic services. My research asked the question: “How can we improve diagnostic capacity in Australia”?
My proposal: upskill psychologists in FASD assessment and asking about prenatal alcohol exposure. All psychologists should have the knowledge to administer, or at the very least interpret, most tests using FASD diagnostic assessments. State and federal government recommendations have called for the consideration of PAE as part of child development assessment since 2010. And yet, psychologists are not routinely trained to ask about PAE, or consider the impact PAE might have on their clients.
Until our study, no research existed examining Australian psychologists’ understanding, practices and training needs regarding FASD assessment and diagnosis. We surveyed one hundred and six Australian psychologists and found that Australian psychologists were broadly familiar with FASD as a diagnostic term. However, they were significantly less confident in their ability to assess a FASD compared to ADHD, intellectual disability and autism. Most psychologists were not regularly assessing for prenatal alcohol exposure as part of their assessments, and were unaware of state and federal government recommendations to do so. The majority of respondents were not confident in their ability to assess a PAE and cited the possibility of shaming the biological mother and not knowing how to assess for PAE as the main reasons it was not their standard practice to ask.
Following the survey of psychologists which has recently been published, I had the privilege of interviewing some parents and caregivers from NOFASD as well as adults with FASD and psychologists about the FASD assessment process in Australia. We are just starting to analyse the data, but we can share some broad themes now, which we hope to publish later this year. The psychologists spoke about the lack of training in FASD in their degrees and never learning how, or why, to ask about prenatal alcohol exposure. The parents, caregivers, and members with lived experience, highlighted the lack of knowledge and understanding of FASD in schools, hospitals, NDIS, mental health services and beyond. Many spoke of their role to advocate and educate. Advocate for their children to be assessed, and to be supported, and to educate the professionals who should be the ones supporting their children. They also spoke of the lack of accessibility for diagnosis and a long time to get diagnosed.
Our research highlights a clear need for the development of further training for psychologists to consistently, and confidently, assess for PAE as well as improve confidence and knowledge in FASD in order to improve diagnostic capacity. This will provide a starting point for increasing early diagnosis, intervention and prevention.