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Hello there,

Our names are Tia & Kim, and we are the LCFASD Diagnostic Team! Our roles are to prepare and facilitate the LCFASD diagnostic clinics; supporting children and adults through the FASD diagnostic process.

Individuals who have FASD will experience some degree of challenges with their daily living and will need support to reach their full potential. Receiving an FASD diagnostic assessment is the first step in creating an effective support plan. Our job is to gather & interpret the required information from the client and/or support network and present the information to the multidisciplinary diagnostic team on clinic day.

Here is what you can expect from the FASD diagnostic referral process:

Step one: Make a referral

We require an LCFASD referral package before we can accept a client into the diagnostic program. The referral package includes a New Client Information Form and several consent forms, which allow us to request pertinent medical, educational, justice and child welfare documentation. This information is collected as it helps to best understand each individuals’ needs, and identify the cause of their challenges.

In preparation for the client to attend clinic, the coordinator must gather information about the timing, frequency, and quantity of alcohol exposure in utero. This information must be obtained from a reliable source, for example, the birth mother, child welfare documentation, birth records, etc.

Click this link to download an LCFASD referral package.

Step two: Psychological Testing

Once the required information is gathered Tia and Kim will book the client’s psychological testing. This may occur at the client’s school, an LCFASD office or at the psychologist’s office in Edmonton, Alberta.

Step three: Clinic day

The client will be interviewed by the physician on the day of clinic and receive a physical examination. If the client is a child, he or she will receive a speech-language and occupational assessment and the physician will interview the caregivers as well. 

The diagnostic team is now ready to discuss the testing results. The team will interpret the client’s history and testing results and determine if the information meets the Canadian guidelines for FASD diagnosis. To receive an FASD diagnosis, there must be sufficient evidence of impairment in a minimum of three neurodevelopmental domains. The diagnostic team will create a 2-page medical report and a list of individualized recommendations , which will be reviewed with the client and his or her caregivers, if applicable.

People who are assessed for FASD will obtain one of the following designations in Canada:

FASD with Sentinel Facial Features

FASD without Sentinel Facial Features

At Risk for Neurodevelopmental Disorder and FASD, Associated with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure.

No FASD Diagnosis