Explaining FASD to Your Child

What Your Child Should Know...

Cause of FASD: The brain damage and resulting difficulties of FASD are caused by a mother drinking alcohol while pregnant. Often this happens before a mother knows she is pregnant, not because she wants to hurt her baby.
FASD is a spectrum: Each child with FASD is affected differently. Some have more difficulties and challenges, and some have less.
What helps: Using an external brain, having others help them think through decisions, remembering their challenges are because of an organic brain injury, it is not their fault!

Strategies

When should you tell your child? There is no ‘right age’ to tell a child they have FASD, so take cues from her – a good time to talk is when she starts asking questions about why things for her are different.
Have the conversation in an understandable way: Use story books, pictures, and other visuals to help you explain what FASD is.
Use simple terms to explain the facts: Remember your child’s chronological and developmental age. You may need to repeat several times, and provide more information as your child gets older.
Explain FASD to your child’s friends and siblings: Explaining FASD to other children can help them to accept your child and understand why he is sometimes treated differently at home and school.

For a printable tip sheet of this information, click here.