FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS florida resource guide

Introductioneducational plan. Despite the best efforts of general and specialeducators, parents often feel school personnel or programs do notunderstand or address the unique needs of children with FASD.The number of juvenile and adult offenders with FASD currentlyincarcerated or under supervision is unknown. According to one study,23% of individuals affected by prenatal alcohol exposure have beenconfined to a mental hospital, 15% to a drug treatment program, and35% to a correctional system (Streissguth, 1996). In 2002 the cost ofincarceration ranged from $17,570 per year for an adult offender(Florida Department of Corrections) to $180,00 for full completion ofa program for a juvenile offender (Florida Department of JuvenileJustice).Florida spends an estimated $78,918,000 annually to provide specialeducation and juvenile justice services to children 5-18 years affectedby FAS and FAE. This amounts to an estimated $914,183 spent perday for these services (www.online-clinic.com/calculator.php).This resource guide provides important information to help familiesand health care professionals understand FASD. Section One definesFAS as well as other alcohol related effects and explains the latestterminology. Section Two explains how and when alcoholconsumption affects fetal development. Section Three gives tenimportant facts about FAS that range from prevalence to causes andseven common myths. Section Four explains in detail the four criteriaused to diagnose FAS and highlights two diagnostic tools used toidentify individuals with FAS. Section Five describes the effects ofFASD and provides cognitive, behavioral, educational, and health careintervention strategies for those working with individuals with FASD.Section Six outlines Florida’s efforts in the prevention of FASD andcompares several screening instruments currently used to identifywomen at risk for prenatal alcohol consumption. The ResourceSection provides a comprehensive, but by no means all-inclusive, listof FASD resources.The information provided in this resource guide is based on theresearch and literature currently available. It is our hope that it willprovide the foundation for further dialogue and exploration into theprevention and early intervention of FASD.6 FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS florida resource guide