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FASD Assessment Tools

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), also called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), describes a condition in which the unborn child, or fetus, receives physical or mental damage due to alcohol use by his mother during pregnancy. Children born with this condition are assessed to determine the extent of the injuries or disabilities in order to receive proper treatment. Certain tools provide the means for that assessment.

  1. Checklist

    • One assessment tool involves completion of a checklist for a child. The list items assess and determine if the child has FASD. The items include failure to thrive, sleeping problems, vision and hearing problems and unusual voice problems. Another part of the checklist involves memory and learning problems, slow learning, failure to learn from past events and slow processing of information.

    Occupational Therapy

    • Assessment of the physical capabilities of the child is an important part of FASD evaluation. This includes motor functions and the ability of the child to adapt to his environment, such as school and physical education.

    Neuropsychological Evaluation

    • According to the state of Washington's website, this assessment tool for adults (age 18 and older) is available through the University of Washington for those individuals exposed to alcohol as a fetus. The evaluation covers functional capacity, strengths and weaknesses. This service offers adults who have not been diagnosed with FASD an opportunity to be evaluated for use in Social Security Administration disability determinations and other matters.

    Vineland Adaptive Behavioral

    • This assessment tool assesses children from birth to 18 years old for personal and social functioning. According to the FAS Community Resource Center, it is used for school-age children to assess FASD. It centers on four basic ideas: communication, daily living skills, socialization and motor skills.

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