title: Intervention recommendations and subsequent access to services following clinical assessment for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) experience multiple difficulties requiring various interventions. Researchers have called for investigation into service use with respect to clinically recommended interventions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine intervention recommendations for children with FASD/PAE and subsequent access to these recommended interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intervention recommendations following FASD assessment were examined for children (1-17 years). Recommendations were compared according to diagnostic status and demographic and environmental variables. Subsequent access to several interventions was examined for 45 participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A variety of recommendations were given. Children with FASD received more recommendations overall and received more education, anticipatory guidance, family support, and safety recommendations than undiagnosed children with PAE. Undiagnosed children received more mental health and reassessment recommendations. Older children received fewer family support and developmental therapy recommendations but more mental health recommendations than younger age groups. Many families accessed modified school programming, developmental therapy, psychiatry, child counseling, and parent support as recommended.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with FASD and PAE have extensive needs and should receive individualized recommendations. An assessment is valuable even without an FASD diagnosis. Areas of high/low service access may provide insight into accessibility and perceived importance of interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study responds to important research questions regarding the intervention needs of individuals with FASD. It is novel in its exploration of intervention recommendations given to children prenatally exposed to alcohol without an FASD diagnosis (rather than only children with FASD) and in its examination of post-assessment service use patterns specifically in relation to clinical recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, 6-102 Education North, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G5, Canada. Electronic address: jacqueline.pei@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, 6-102 Education North, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G5, Canada. Electronic address: lbaugh@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baugh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405-87 Avenue, 3rd Floor, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada; Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, 10230 111 Avenue Northwest, Edmonton, AB T5G 0B7, Canada. Electronic address: Gail.Andrew@albertahealthservices.ca.
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andrew
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405-87 Avenue, 3rd Floor, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada. Electronic address: carmen@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004519:Education, Special / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011315:Preventive Medicine; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D066107:Social Skills; D014481:United States
keywords: Clinical assessment; Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder; Intervention; Prenatal alcohol exposure; Service use