Who we are

We are the UK National Specialist Clinic for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). We’re part of Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, but we accept referrals from across the UK.

Our team includes Doctors, Psychologists, and Speech and Language Therapists. We work together to assess people who may have FASD and help them get the right support.

What we offer

We provide:

  • Specialist assessments for children, young people, and adults who may have FASD

  • Reports and advice for families, carers, and professionals

  • Guidance to help local teams plan and deliver the right care

  • Training and consultation to raise awareness and understanding of FASD.

Who we work with

We assess people aged 6 and over who are thought to have been exposed to alcohol before birth.

We work closely with families, carers, and the professionals supporting them, including schools, social workers, mental health teams and GPs.

Why do you not see children under the age of six?

So, this clinic doesn't see children under the age of six because we set up to really measure the differences in people as they get older. And the tools that we use are not really set up to measure the needs of children below six.

Really, they measure people above eight. And so, eight upwards is our average group we see. We can see them from six, but really the tools we use don't work below that. Um, and we're trying to work out what people's trajectories are, where they're going to end up. Uh, and again, that's really difficult to do when they're really young. And so, it's not that it's impossible to see children below six, it's just that we're not set up to do it.

Why getting a diagnosis matters

A diagnosis of FASD can help explain why someone is struggling. It gives families and professionals a clearer understanding of how to support the person.

We follow national guidance and bring together different professionals to look at the full picture of each person’s development, behaviour, and learning - we don’t just look at challenges. Our assessments also highlight strengths, so the right support can be built around each person’s needs.

What are the risks associated with not having the right support in place for someone with FASD? So if people with FASD don't get the right level of support, they don't get the right level of input and the help that they need, the likelihood of their life not going as you would expect or you would hope increases. Now there was a study for 20 years that looked at what those kind of outcomes were and the type of things that people saw were mental health issues. Over 90% of a cohort of 400 people ended up with mental health issues. 50% ended up in prison. 50% had their own addictions. 50% were having difficulties with sexual relationships. You know these are things that normal life you would either hope wouldn't happen. But that's what happens if you don't get the support. Now you can flip it and there is evidence to suggest that with the right support, we can look at a strength-based approach. We can improve the knowledge of what they need to do to get help. We can try and build on their skill set. And all of those things I described can be reduced or prevented. And that's the aim is by giving a diagnosis by understanding the person that you shift that narrative from everything being bad to actually life can be okay for these individuals. They can go on and have a decent quality of life. There are people who can get through university, who can do education, who can go on to have their own children. It isn't all negative if we give the right support. If we don't, those bad outcomes I mentioned are still possible.

Do you offer long-term support?

We do not provide ongoing treatment. After assessment, we give a report with recommendations and advice to help local services support the person going forward.