NOFASD Australia

FASD specific workshops and webinars

November 8^th (NSW) Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) awareness workshop

NOFASDAustralia have teamed up with Mental Health Carers NSW to run this 2hr workshop. Free for Families/Carers and Consumers and $40 for Clinicians

Nov 16^th (Webinar) Children's attachment needs in the context of out-of-home care
Presenter: Dr Sara McLean is a registered Psychologist and Research Fellow at the Australian Centre for Child Protection. She has worked in the area of child and adolescent mental health since 1997 and has a particular interest in developing effective supports for children in care. Sara has expertise regarding the psychological issues associated with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), and the mental health and behavioural needs of children living in foster and residential care. Sara was recently awarded the inaugural ACU Linacre Fellowship at Oxford University in recognition of her work supporting children in care.

Nov 17^th (WA) Inspiring Change Through Passion and Creativity – Guest speaker is Dr James Fitzpatrick, Honorary Research Fellow Telethon Kids Institute. Topics will include Fetal alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Nov 29^th – 1^st Dec (ACT) Understanding the needs of children and families impacted by FASD

Registrations now open for this forum being hosted by Indigenous Allied Health Australia:

Nov 29th (Victoria) Shifting Expectations: Training on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children is proud to host this workshop to be presented by FASD Consultant and Trainer, Robyn Williams from Curtin University, WA.

If you have missed any of the recent FASD webinars presented by NOFASD Australia Educator/Trainer Anne Heath, they are now available for viewing online

NOFASD Webinars

News & media

WA Australian of the Year finalists have been named and include June Oscar and James Fitzpatrick, both NOFASD Ambassadors and also foster carer Fay Alford who has been a great advocate over many years for children living with FASD. We extend our congratulations to them all.

An International panel of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) experts have collaborated to develop the first-ever FASD medication guidelines

For Parents/Carers/Families

Have you seen the Lived Experience Matters Campaign? It is important that the NDIA board has members with lived experienced of disability. As FASD is a significant unique disability that affects each individual differently, it is especially important that there are members on this Board who understand neurodevelopmental disabilities. You can use this tool to select your state to find the best person to contact, and then use the buttons to send them a message on Facebook and Twitter!

Have you heard about MyTime? MyTime groups provide support for mothers, fathers, grandparents and anyone caring for a child In Australia who has a disability or chronic medical condition.

If you are advocating for the rights of a child with FASD in the Australian education system you might find these documents useful.

Inclusion in Education: Towards Equality for Students with Disability.

Thinking Ahead – Learn How to Advocate for Your Child at School

For families in WA – Kick Starting Your Child’s Career Journey - A Guide for families of young people with disability.

UnitingCare Community and the NDIS: the stories of Molly & Zahra. Zahra lives in Townsville & has FASD. You can see her story on you tube (Zahra is the second story)

Watch video

Supervision is such an important strategy for helping keep children with FASD out of trouble. Here is a great tip sheet from EFAN,

Why typical behavioural approaches may not work for children with FASD and ideas on how to make your interventions more effective.

Watch video

Routines: Why They Matter and How to Get Started – routines are especially important for children/adults living with FASD.

For Service Providers

Social Dysfunction: A Key Deficit in Adults with Suspected and Confirmed FASD.

Presentations from the recent Symposium 'Conversations on Complexity’ hosted by SA Network of Drug & Alcohol Services are now available to view online – includes presentation on FASD.

How does a child with FASD get diagnosed with Autism?

General guidelines for supporting adults with FASD in Mental Health or Forensic settings (Ory 2004)

Did you know that FASD E-learning Modules have been developed to support Australian health workers in delivering FASD diagnoses to individuals and their families.

Art therapy looks like a promising intervention to treat many of the cognitive, social, adaptive & functioning deficits of FASD.

A great chart that illustrates sensitive times for fetal vulnerablility to teratogens including alcohol. Other teratogens are radiation, maternal infections, chemicals, and other drugs.

View chart

New Research

New review: What can be done to lessen morbidity associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders?

A proposed new diagnostic method of capturing the neurocognitive phenotype of FASD.

Interventions in Fetal alcohol Spectrum Disorders: An international perspective.

Functional connectivity abnormalities and associated cognitive deficits in fetal alcohol Spectrum disorders

A review of the physical features of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Ethical Challenges in Contemporary FASD Research and Practice: A Global Health Perspective.

Neuropsychological Aspects of Prevention and Intervention for FASD in Canada.

A Decision Tree to Identify Children Affected by Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Immediate Neural Plasticity Involving Reaction Time in a Saccadic Eye Movement Task is Intact in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Cortical miscommunication after prenatal exposure to alcohol.

The continuum of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD)in a community in South Africa: Prevalence and characteristics in a fifth sample. In this community, FAS occurs in 59-79 per 1,000 children, and total FASD in 170-233 per 1,000 children, or 17% to 23%.

Nofasd Australia - The Loop - Issue #40