Hello from Cornwall - Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

[Guest]

Hi
My husband and I have recently found out that our adopted daughter has FAS (Foetal Alcohol Syndrome). So little seems to be know about FAS in the UK, yet it is a major problem.

With the help of the FASD Trust we are currently trying to raise awareness in our area, where there is very little support and no-one seems to have heard of FAS.

[charles47]

Hi Morveryn, and welcome to the forum.

I've been involved in issues around caring and disability for a loooong time, but had never heard of FAS/FASD. Having just looked it up, it seems that there is a broad spectrum in that some children are affected to a greater or lesser extent than others. How badly is your adopted daughter affected, and are you getting any help from the authorities?

[Guest]

Hi Charles,
My daughter has difficulties with short term memory, concentration/distraction and also has sensory issues. She has problems with her hearing and eyesight. She has a high tolerance to pain and often does not feel pain at all.
We are not getting any help as she is doing well at school. Most children with FAS do ok at school. At the moment we are happy and just treating the problems as and when they occur. the school do not understand FAS so don't seem to understand thats why she gets easily distracted and chatters non stop for half an hour! I've given the school loads of literature.

Our daughter has a brother who was placed separately. We visit him and his parents regularly and are good friends. He has been very severely affected and has many problems. His school do not understand FAS and his mum has also taken lots of information to the school. They have classed him as a 'naughty' child.

[Guest]

I had heard of it but associated it with the US, for some reason that I can't remember I've assumed that it's more prevalent there, perhaps something I'd read or perhaps it's more recognised and therefore more frequently diagnosed in the US. Could be because children undergo a mental health assessment on entering school so it's picked up relatively early. I wonder if there's more information on US sites than in the UK, including educational resources? This might assist the teachers with dealing positively with the effects in the school environment rather than simply labelling a child "naughty".

[charles47]

To be honest I've found that mainstream schools tend to be very poor at understanding the needs of children with needs that are outside their "norm." And so they label them "naughty." Saves time and effort.

This may sound cynical, but I've seen reports from teachers ignoring firm autism diagnosis and going with their own. Such as "naughty," "evil" and even "possessed."

But of course, they don't believe in labelling a child with a disability...