CanFASD Issue Papers

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Employment and FASD: An Updated Look at Strategies for Success (2023)

Many people with FASD have difficulties finding and keeping meaningful employment due to body and brain-based differences that can impact their daily functioning. Importantly, employment success for people with FASD can be supported through leveraging individual strengths, skills, abilities, and providing opportunities for accommodations in the workplace.

Gap Analysis: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (2023)

There has been an increase in the awareness of disabled people who identify with a diverse sexual and/or gender identity. Although this area has been minimally explored within the context of FASD, this issue is frequently broached by caregivers and service providers as an area of increased need and support. FASD is complex, and the combination of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations with FASD can increase the vulnerability of people with FASD. Therefore, approaches to care and service provision should identify and dismantle heteronormative and binary structures to reframe inclusivity. Absent societal perceptions of these intersecting identities raise human rights and equity concerns as many people with diverse gender and sexual identities experience stigmatization, discrimination, unmet health needs, and suicidality. Thus, an intersectional and human rights-based lens must be applied in research, policy, and practice to aid social transformation toward an inclusive society, including for persons with FASD.

Why FASD Diagnostic Assessment is Important (2023)

Early diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) allow for an understanding of an individual’s strengths and challenges which facilitates entry into appropriate intervention and support services. In turn, early diagnosis can mitigate the development of difficulties in daily living associated with this neurodevelopmental disability and promote healthier outcomes. Even if individuals do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of FASD, a comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment process for those who have had prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) provides important information about learning, behaviour, and physical and mental health that will guide care and appropriate supports. This issue paper outlines the importance of an FASD diagnostic assessment to supporting and improving outcomes for diagnosed individuals and their families.

Gap Analysis: Human Trafficking and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (2023)

The purpose of this gap analysis is to describe what is known about human trafficking and FASD, identify complexities unique to FASD that can increase vulnerability to trafficking, and to provide research, policy, and practice recommendations.

Neurodiversity and FASD (2023)

The concept of neurodiversity is a relatively new phenomenon that represents the wide variety of differences among humanity. Although neurodiversity has been discussed in relation to other disabilities, increased attention is needed to better understand and consider how FASD can be part of neurodiversity. This issue paper describes the concept of neurodiversity, identifies some of the ways neurodiversity is discussed in the literature, and presents recommendations for considering FASD and neurodiversity.

Diagnostic Assessment of Preschoolers with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (2023)

The purpose of this issue paper is to draw attention to the gap in research focused on FASD diagnosis in preschool aged children and to highlight the benefits of early diagnosis.