Contact NOFASD Australia for information, support and advice.
Getting a referral
You will need a referral from a General Practitioner (GP) or another medical professional before you can see a paediatrician and other health professionals such as a psychologist, speech pathologist or occupational therapist in a child development service or private clinic. For an adult, the person will need a referral from a General Practitioner (GP) or another medical professional to make an appointment with a psychiatrist or neurosciences clinic.
As each service will have different requirements, check out your state or territory Child Development Services or private clinics available on the FASD Service Directory.
Locate FASD-informed services
Find clinics and individual health professionals who can help throughout Australia
What is involved in an assessment
The Australian Guide to the diagnosis of FASD includes a section on Information on diagnostic assessment for individuals and caregivers. This document provides the following information.
- What is involved in getting a diagnosis
- What documents do I need?
- Who is involved in the diagnostic assessment
- How much does the assessment cost?
- What happens after all the assessments?
- Australian FASD support groups
- Why is diagnosis important?
- Informed consent
Consent
Services and clinics will have their own consent form. If a consent form is not provided you should ask your health professional for one. An example of a FASD Diagnostic Assessment Consent Form is included in the Australian Guide to the diagnosis of FASD.
After the assessment
After all the assessments have been completed the doctor will share the results of the medical and other assessments and discuss the diagnosis, which may be FASD or another diagnosis. You should ask any questions you have and ask for a copy of the assessment findings. This may be in the form of a letter or a report. This may be provided at the appointment or mailed to you after the appointment. Also ask if you can phone the doctor or another member of the team with any questions once you have had time to read the information the doctor has given you and you have had the opportunity to discuss the diagnosis with members of your family.
More information for parents and carers can be found in in the Australian Guide to the diagnosis of FASD 'After the assessment'.
Contact NOFASD Australia for information, support and advice.
A management plan based on the person’s specific needs should be prepared by the health professionals who have completed the assessments. Visit Managing FASD for more information on management and interventions.
FASD Australian Registry
Australian families with children who have a confirmed FASD diagnosis and are under 15 years old are invited to participate in the FASD Australian Registry (FASDAR).
A registry is a collection of information about individuals with a specific diagnosis or condition. The FASDAR aims to maintain a central database of FASD cases in order to develop a greater understanding of FASD, inform new research, and help provide information to families regarding new services, effective treatments, peer support, and resources.
Find out more and register your interest on the FASDAR website.
Journey to Diagnosis
Going through an assessment and learning your child has FASD is a very challenging time, but parents & carers also report benefits from finally understanding the cause of their child's difficulties.
Diagnosing FASD
Join health professionals from around Australia who assess and diagnose Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) using the 'Australian Guide to the diagnosis of FASD'.