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Growing up With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Saint Louis University researchers in the department of family and community medicine have received an $880,000, three-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and prevention to develop and test a new program aimed at helping older children and young adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) successfully transition into adulthood.

The new program will focus on teaching important life skills, such as how to cope with new situations and minimize disruptive behaviors that could lead to loss of employment or trouble with the law.

According to Leigh Tenkku, PhD, an assistant professor of family and community medicine at Saint Louis University, while the effects of FASD are life-long, currently there are very few support systems in place to help these individuals and their families as they get older.

“The brains of individuals with FASD are not fully developed, which affects their ability to handle emotions, problem solve, and pick up on social cues,” Tenkku says. “As they get older, these problems affect their ability to maintain a job, their relationships, and their parenting abilities.”

The new program, called Partners for Success, combines personal mentors and therapeutic home visits to provide one-on-one support similar to the popular Parents as Teachers model, only intensified. The goal of the program is to give individuals with FASD the tools and support necessary to successfully navigate the challenges of adulthood.

Currently in the U.S., there are no social service programs geared to the specific needs of youth and young adults with FASD. Instead, social agencies offer a hodgepodge of programs that address the broader needs of those with developmental disabilities.

“We want our program to be practical and easily replicated by other agencies that provide FASD services. We’re creating the tool, but they have to be able to use it. That’s how we’ll help the greatest number of people,” Tenkku says.

— Source: Saint Louis University Medical Center