Here are some useful fact sheets to help you get started with the assessment and diagnosis process and in seeking early intervention.
The fact sheets contain a range of questions that your health practitioner may ask you in order to build a case history for your child.
The following fact sheet provides a useful summary of the common behavioural characteristics of FASD across the lifespan. This fact sheet may be useful to share with school communities and other service providers.
The following fact sheets provide information on common FASD behaviours and consequences. We have included a range of strategies and environmental accommodations that may help to improve quality of life outcomes.
NOFASD Support Booklets
Brains are Different
Brains Are Different is an illustrated book that explains Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) to young readers. It discusses how everyone’s brain is unique and how alcohol and drugs can affect a baby’s developing brain. The book highlights challenges like learning and managing emotions while introducing the professionals who can help. It’s a helpful tool for parents, caregivers, and educators to teach children about neurodiversity and inclusion.
Strategies not Solutions
Strategies, Not Solutions is a practical guide for caregivers and professionals supporting individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Drawing from real-life experiences, it provides adaptable strategies to address the unique challenges of FASD. Instead of offering one-size-fits-all solutions, this booklet focuses on understanding and meeting individual needs, covering topics like behaviour management, communication, and routines.
Guiding your Young Adult with FASD into Adulthood
Part 1 of a two-booklet set, this guide supports parents, carers, and professionals helping a young person with FASD transition to adulthood. The booklet covers legal rights, services, money, education, work, and independent living.
Turning 18 and Living with FASD
Part 2 of a two-booklet set, created specifically for young people with FASD. It uses simple language to explain new responsibilities at 18 and provides supportive advice on topics like work, budgeting, staying safe, and looking after yourself.
FASD Toolkit for Australian Parents, Caregivers and Families
A comprehensive guide designed to support families caring for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). It offers practical strategies for managing everyday challenges, guidance on seeking a diagnosis, and tips for building supportive environments. This resource empowers parents and caregivers with essential information to help their children thrive, promoting understanding and effective approaches for navigating life with FASD
Guide for Parents and Caregivers after a FASD diagnosis
Confirmation of a FASD diagnosis for their child often comes with a tumult of emotions for parents and carers – relief that they have an answer for the challenges their child experiences, grief due to the knowledge that this is a life-long condition, and confusion how to move forward to achieve the best possible outcomes for their child. This guide provides practical information to assist parents and carers – with key facts about behaviours, struggles, affect regulation, memory challenges and characteristics that are likely to be encountered across their child’s lifetime as they grow and develop.
Supporting Success For Adults With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
This guide provides practical strategies and insights for supporting adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This resource offers advice on creating structured environments, managing daily routines, and fostering positive relationships to help individuals with FASD thrive in their communities. Designed for caregivers, service providers, and professionals, the guide emphasizes individualized support to meet the unique challenges adults with FASD face in everyday life.
It’s a Party
a helpful guide created for parents and carers of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) to plan successful birthday celebrations. Written by NOFASD Helpline Manager Robyn Smith, this booklet offers practical tips and strategies, including how to manage sensory challenges, structure activities, and create a stress-free environment. With insights from experienced parents, it’s a Party helps make birthdays fun and enjoyable for both the child and their guests.
NOFASD Travel guide
written by Robyn Smith, NOFASD Helpline Manager, is a practical resource designed to help parents and carers organize successful holidays with children affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Filled with tried-and-tested tips from parents, this guide offers strategies to manage routine disruptions and sensory overloads during travel. Whether it’s a road trip, flight, or camping adventure, this guide equips families with the tools to enjoy their holidays with less stress and more fun.
Introduction to Teachers
This booklet was developed by FASD-CAN Inc in New Zealand and has been adapted by NOFASD Australia to assist parents and other caregivers to broadly explain FASD to teachers and to provide individual information about a child which is helpful in building a relationship and supporting the child and their family at school.
NOFASD thanks FASD-CAN for permission to reproduce this resource for the Australian population.
Prevention and Awareness Handbook for Alcohol and Other Drug Professionals
By Drug Education Network Inc. and NOFASD Australia Inc.
A comprehensive guide designed to equip professionals with the knowledge and strategies needed to support individuals at risk of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This handbook covers the latest in FASD prevention, screening, and intervention methods, while promoting best practices in working with at-risk populations. It is an essential resource for professionals working in alcohol and drug services, aiming to prevent FASD and improve community health outcomes.
My Kind of Mind
We all learn and copy by using our strengths, skills and talents. This booklet explores the world from the point of view of someone living with FASD or other neurodevelopment disorders. Their answers will show what things are easy, hard, or somewhere in the middle, and describe how you can cope with stress, struggles, joy and dreams, as well as helping those individuals know themselves a little better and help with organising and planning for the future
Service Planning Guide
Designed by Sheila Burns, this is a map that tracks strengths and deficits objectively, so we can consider what we might have overlooked or misunderstood. It provides a way to discuss how uneven brain function impacts unique learning and developmental needs, so we can realign expectations and build more resilient
NOFASD Brochures & Information Cards
Behavioural Strategies
There are 8 key support strategies for behavioural support. This brochure will give you the keys, describe dysmaturity and provide some FASD facts.
Sensory Processing Strategies
This brochure explains what sensory integration and sensory processing is. Most of us are able to take in sensory information, filter it and respond accordingly but some people are not able to do that. This brochure provides strategies to help with sensory processing.
FASD Facts
This brochure provides a brief overview of FASD, its causes, prevalence and lifelong impacts.
Family Linking with Families
This brochure introduces a free online support group program for parents and caregivers of individuals with FASD.
Alcohol Free Pregnancy Information Card
Provides essential information about preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Highlighting the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and emphasizes that there is no safe amount of alcohol if you are pregnant, planning, or could become pregnant. The flyer offers guidance on avoiding alcohol, how to seek support, and the importance of being alcohol-free to protect a developing baby from lifelong disabilities.
Alcohol Free Pregnancy Poster
Promotes awareness about the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It emphasizes the importance of being alcohol-free if you’re pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or breastfeeding, as recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). The poster also highlights the role of partners in supporting alcohol-free pregnancies to ensure the health of the developing baby.
An Introduction to FASD
Offers vital information on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), highlighting how alcohol use during pregnancy can lead to lifelong physical, cognitive, and developmental disabilities. The brochure explains the signs and symptoms of FASD, the importance of early diagnosis, and the support available for individuals and families. It emphasises that FASD is preventable if alcohol is avoided during pregnancy.
FASD Advice Cards for Community
A useful tool to educate community members and enlist the support of bystanders during a meltdown.
These wallet-sized cards can be carried with you and given to bystanders when your child experiences a sensory overload in public. Parents and caregivers of people living with FASD know which strategies are most effective to improve or de-escalate a situation, however well-meaning community members sometimes jump to the conclusion that simple solutions like firm parenting and the use of consequences might solve behaviour problems. These Advice Cards enable parents and care-givers to enlist the support of observers by quietly explaining what is going on and asking for their cooperation, including not staring or becoming involved unless assistance is requested.
These cards are posted free-of-charge to parents and carers. To order cards please contact us here.
We would like to acknowledge Parenting Complex Children (Wisconsin, USA) for the text and opportunity to produce these cards.
Information Cards for Police
A tool to inform police officers and others about a cognitive impairment.
Children, young people & adults with FASD are over-represented in all areas of the justice system. In some cases, people with FASD may not have the skills and knowledge to defend their legal rights. A recent study found that 36 percent of young people in detention have FASD, and 89 percent have a neurodevelopmental impairment. There are many recorded cases of people with FASD “admitting” to offences which they did not commit.
These wallet-sized information cards can be carried by people with FASD and other brain disorders. If needed, they can be handed to police officers and other professionals. The cards explain that the person has a cognitive impairment and cannot knowingly waive legal rights, and there is space for carers to write their contact details on the cards.
It is important that police officers, emergency responders, and other professionals are aware of the characteristics and behaviours of people with FASD so they can work fairly and effectively with them. For more information and resources on FASD and the justice system click here.
These cards are posted free-of-charge to parents and carers. To order cards please contact us here.
We would like to acknowledge FASD Waterloo Region (Canada) for the idea and text to produce these cards.
Additional Resources
Prevalence of FASD compared with other congenital disabilities
Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol
Drug Education Network: FASD Handbook for Health Professionals
Alcohol and pregnancy brochure from alcoholthinkagain.com.au
Supporting alcohol-free pregnancy brochure from alcoholthinkagain.com.au
Every Moment Matters in your Pregnancy – resources from the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education’s (FARE) Every Moment Matters Campaign
Videos & Online Learning
The SECCA App – supports the development of knowledge and skills in navigating sexuality & relationships across the lifespan.
Hidden Harm – ABC Four Corners
Oregon Behaviour Consultation Training videos
Sensory Processing Difficulties – a short demonstration
Presentations from the 7th International Conference on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Adults and Adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder – video recordings from the 2016 International Conference on FASD.
The FASD Learning Series for individuals with FASD and their caregivers (Canada)
Reading List
Vanessa Spiller has just released a new Australian FASD workbook specifically aimed at parents, carers and educators called Explained by Brain. For more information and to order click here
Looking Through a Different Lens – the powerful shift that can place you on a path to parenting differently.
SA Health have a form called My Health Information Form. This form is for people with intellectual disability and highlights key patient information and preferred communication methods. This would be useful for parents of individuals with FASD to have filled out and ready in case of going to hospital.
Making Sense of FASD – Information for Parents and Carers (UK resource)
Additional recommended books include:
Trying Differently Rather Than Harder – second edition (author: Diane V Malbin, MSW)
The Perfect Love Story – written by Claire Gyde, Chairperson of FASD-Can New Zealand. This book is witty, wise and truly FASD-informed. It is not available to download but a printed copy is free for parents and carers by emailing enquiries@nofasdaustralia.com
The Way I am is Different: A Children’s Book about a boy with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Finding Perspective: Raising Successful Children Affected by FASD
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (Understanding Mental Health)
Guided Growth: Educational Interventions for Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. This serial e-book (available for purchase) incorporates the latest research-based information into a guide designed for teachers, parents, physicians, psychologists and others working with FASD.
Canada FASD Research Network in collaboration with the University of Alberta have produced Towards Healthy Outcomes for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
CanFASD has developed “I am a Caregiver” resource guide for those providing care to a person with FASD. This guide was developed as a way for caregivers to access important information and resources relating to providing care for children and adults with FASD
Australian websites that have FASD specific information
FASD Hub Australia An alliance of organisations working to provide a ‘one stop shop’ for information, tools and resources that are current and evidenced based.
FASD C.A.R.E WA A team of health care professionals who aim to provide high standards of clinical care for children and youth living with FASD.
‘The Kids’ Institute (WA) – Alcohol Pregnancy & FASD One of the largest, and most successful independent not-for-profit medical research institutes in Australia, comprising a dedicated and diverse team of more than 500 staff and students.
The CICADA Centre NSW A FASD specialist centre providing diagnosis and clinical care for children and young people affected by alcohol and drug use and support leading research and education in key areas of need in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), parental drug and alcohol use and adolescent drug and alcohol use.
A book for children with FASD
NOFASD-UK has created an innovative 16-page book to promote wellbeing in children and young people with FASD. It provides information in a fun and visual format, emphasising the strengths of those with FASD and highlighting strategies that can help.
NOFASD-UK had much success with this book in their Brain Base: FASD Wellbeing Summer Fun Days program. They are now generously offering this book to all children and young people with FASD. Download a PDF copy of the book here.
If you would like to order a hard copy, please email info@nofas-uk.org. The booklet is free, but they do appreciate help in covering printing, shipping and handling costs if you are able. They suggest £2 in the UK and £5 for international requests.
NOFASD Australia thanks NOFASD-UK for making this book available to the Australian population.