‘FASD Informed' Foster Carer

Feb 8
3 min read

Updated: Feb 11

There is no requirement to have experience with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

Disorder (FASD) or for you to support a child with a diagnosis, where if Prenatal

Alcohol Exposure (PAE) or Drugs is known or suspected, the new clinical

guidance for alcohol is ‘to rule FASD in’ to support good practice in early

intervention and to find support routes to assessment.

Sessions for our 2026 programme are subsidised heavily to support the Fostering

Services Regulations 2011 and National Minimum Standards for Local

Authorities to provide specialist training to those providing support for children

with severe complex needs.

FASD is the most severe of the neurodevelopmental disorders in terms of its far

reaching impact on functioning across the lifespan, and requires a unique

approach to support and understanding.

Those who are not appropriately trained or knowledgeable can often make assumptions due to the fact that many individuals with FASD can superficially present as more able than they actually are or where their ‘symptoms’ are misinterpreted as ‘behaviour’ due to spiky cognitive and neurodevelopmental profile.

The ‘FASD Informed’ Foster Carer Programme

An 8 week expert-led online course tailored to support a deeper understanding of FASD, emerging needs, strategies and forward planning:

1. 'FASD Informed' Stage 1:

Option A: Identifying the needs in the child/ren you support; 1:1 session booked at a time/date to suit you with the Director of FASD Informed UK providing you space to talk about the challenges you face, consider educational challenges and emerging needs.

Option B: If you are new to Foster Care or are an experienced foster carer but have no experience of supporting a child or young person with FASD, we can meet with you to talk about the strengths and challenges of supporting a child with these needs. We can also link you with our network and support you through our staged programme where you can ask lots of questions in a safe space.

2. 'FASD Informed' Stage 2: What is FASD? Starting from a fresh page without assumptions where we will consider the theory, current research in neurodevelopmental trauma FASD & discuss essential safeguarding needs.

3. 'FASD Informed' Stage 3: Interpreting theory into practice, processing speed, fluctuating / environmental capacity, communication and processing, perseveration, confabulation and the impact to development and learning.

4. 'FASD Informed' Stage 4: Digging deep into 'switching' techniques, sexualised symptoms, emerging and anticipated divergence of needs.

5. 'FASD Informed' Stage 5: Rage, Lying & Stealing; strategies to identify symptoms and support.

6. ‘FASD Informed' Stage 6: FASD Informed Good Practice in SEND and EHCP Reviews; so many of us struggle with knowing what to say, what to expect and what options we have to get support for the children we care for… we will help you navigate this journey.

7. ‘FASD Informed' Stage 7: Transition Planning; change of placements, routine and environment, year group, holidays etc… all significantly impact children and young people with FASD where we look at forward planning, minimising the impact and provide ideas for Schools/Social care to plan way ahead to consider time lines for transitions.

8. ‘FASD Informed' Stage 8: Ongoing support and planning; this session will be tailored to suit you where we will recap on learning and plan what support you would like next.

Sessions are run online via Zoom; minimum booking 5 places per group

Additional 1:1 sessions can be booked privately

For booking details email us: info@fasdinformed.co.uk

The course includes certification and resources as well as a private peer to peer FASD Carers Facebook group

For your ongoing support pop along to our professional support website; packed full of resources and information: https://www.fasdinformed.co.uk