How Is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnosed?
An expert trained to assess birth defects and
fetal alcohol spectrum disorders can diagnose
fetal alcohol syndrome. Such experts may include a geneticist, developmental pediatrician, or neurologist. Ideally, a team of professionals diagnoses the specific disorder. The team may include:
- A dysmorphologist
- Education consultants
- Psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers
- Occupational therapists
- Speech and language specialists.
Tests Used to Diagnose Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Tests used in making a fetal alcohol syndrome diagnosis usually include:
-
A complete physical (height, weight, vision, hearing, cardiogram, etc.)
-
Evaluation of the face
-
An IQ test (for example, WISC or WAIS).
Occupational therapy, speech, neurologic, and psychiatric evaluations are also used in diagnosing fetal alcohol syndrome to check for related characteristics of the disorder, including:
- Cognitive deficits, such as memory problems or developmental delay
- Executive functioning deficits, such as problems following multistep directions
- Motor delays or deficits, such as clumsiness or tremors
- Attention deficits and hyperactivity
- Poor social skills, such as interrupting others and misreading cues
- Behavioral problems, such as aggression or not finishing tasks.
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