About the FASD Clinic
We are the UK’s National Specialist Clinic for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). We are an NHS clinic and the only UK FASD clinic to provide FASD assessments for both children and adults.
Our team is based in Surrey and is part of the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. We see people from across the country and since launching in 2009, we’ve assessed more than 300 complex cases.
We assess children and adults who may have FASD. We aim to identify their needs and other diagnoses so they can find the right support local to them, reduce future risks, and improve their quality of life. After assessment, we provide a full report and care management plan for local teams to put into action. Our work meets the most recent NICE quality standards for FASD.
The service is led by Professor Raja Mukherjee, an internationally recognised expert in FASD.
We are one of the only services in the UK able to confidently diagnose FASD, with or without facial features, using a full multi-professional approach.
Our assessments look at:
- Brain structure and function
- Thinking and memory
- Speech and language
- Attention, learning, and behaviour
- Growth measurements and analysis of facial features
- Developmental history and early life experiences
We also carefully consider other possible causes such as neglect, prematurity, drug use during pregnancy, and genetic conditions.
This helps us build a detailed and accurate understanding of the person’s strengths and needs.
FASD can overlap with other conditions. Our team is skilled at recognising and diagnosing these, and we routinely assess for the following:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Intellectual Disability
- Language Disorder
ASD and ADHD are particularly common in people with FASD, and we routinely check for these in our assessments. We use observations, interviews, and standardised tools to inform diagnosis.
We publish and contribute to national and international research on FASD.
Our team also provides training and guidance to other health and care professionals across the UK.