There are special clinics that a parent can take an adopted or foster child to for a Fetal Alcohol evaluation. It takes at least all day and sometimes more than one day for a complete evaluation. This very thorough investigation may include brain images as well as physical and developmental evaluations. The results should conclude whether your child was subjected to alcohol exposure during those critical forming months in the uterus. Many people who have adopted older children have their children evaluated at these clinics. However, I have to wonder, once your child starts school does it really matter how the LD began or what caused it?

Once your child has a learning disability (LD) the public school offers services. These services may include special classes, alternate instruction methods, an aid to assist your child, and job training programs. The services that your LD child will qualify for will depend on the IQ test results when compared to your child’s achievement score results. If your child qualifies for speech, OT (occupational therapy), or PT (physical therapy) those services will be based on an individual evaluation that determines if your child’s deficit affects learning at public school. The amount of help and services your child receives is negotiated yearly in an IEP (Individual Education Plan.)

This is why I ask if it matters how the LD began for your child. All services are dependent on current scores and abilities. If your child doesn’t score at least two grades below the normal range, then your child doesn’t receive services. It won’t matter if your child has a diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or any other syndrome or condition.

There is also a relatively new evaluation that can determine if children as young as five months old were exposed to alcohol in the uterus. It is an "Eye Blink Conditioning” (EBC) test and it identifies subcortical deficits that are specifically affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. Now testing an infant is another story. If for example, you are a foster parent who is considering adopting an infant. Knowing whether the infant has FAS could determine whether you adopt or not. It could also affect your choice for early-on services. If you know at such a young age, then you can begin intervention when you have the best chance of making a difference. During those critical learning years of newborn to three.



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