FASD: A Doctor's Story

Summary

The speaker, a pediatrician, recounts their journey in diagnosing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Initially unaware of FASD in the 80s and 90s, they discovered its significance in the mid-2000s. After overcoming the lack of local training, they established a clinic in 2014, diagnosing over a hundred cases since. The speaker advocates for FASD education in health professional training and mainstream conversation, drawing parallels to the increased awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker is a paediatrician who received training in the 80s and 90s when FASD was not well-known in Australia.
• 👩‍⚕️ In the mid-2000s, the speaker encountered a case suggesting FASD but had to seek training overseas due to the lack of local resources.
• 🌏 The only available training for FASD at that time was in Vancouver, Canada, highlighting a significant gap in Australian medical education.
• 🏥 The speaker's team opened a clinic in 2014, significantly increasing the number of FASD diagnoses from one between 2000-2013 to over a hundred since 2014.
• 🔍 The increase in diagnoses is attributed to improved knowledge and skill rather than changes in personnel or diagnostic tools.
• 📈 There are now multiple clinics dedicated to FASD, including the Gold Coast clinic and Westmead Children’s Hospital Clinic.
• 🏫 The speaker advocates for better education and training on FASD for health professionals and suggests incorporating FASD modules into health-related university courses.
• 🌐 FASD awareness and education should be expanded to include allied health, nursing, and medicine to ensure a comprehensive approach.
• 🗣️ The speaker calls for FASD to be a mainstream conversation topic, similar to the increased awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
• 👋 The script includes a light-hearted interaction, indicating a positive and engaging approach to discussing FASD with patients.

Q & A

What was the speaker's profession and when did they receive their training?

The speaker is a paediatrician who received their training in the eighties and nineties.

What was the speaker's initial knowledge about FASD when they first encountered it?

The speaker had very little knowledge about FASD and had to ask what it was when a foster carer mentioned it.

Where did the speaker have to go to receive training in FASD?

The speaker had to go overseas to Vancouver, Canada to receive training in FASD as none was available in Australia at the time.

When did the speaker's team first open their clinic for diagnosing FASD?

The speaker's team first opened their clinic for diagnosing FASD in 2014.

How many children were diagnosed with FASD between 2000 and 2013 according to the speaker?

Between 2000 and 2013, only one child was diagnosed with FASD.

How many children have been diagnosed with FASD since the clinic opened in 2014?

Since 2014, over a hundred children have been diagnosed with FASD.

What has changed between the period of one diagnosis and over a hundred diagnoses, according to the speaker?

The people and tools used have not changed, but the speaker attributes the increase in diagnoses to improved knowledge and skill base about FASD.

What role does the speaker believe there is for better education and training around FASD?

The speaker believes there is a role for better education and training for health professionals, and also suggests incorporating basic modules on FASD into all health-related university courses.

Which specific clinics are mentioned in the script as being involved in FASD diagnosis?

The Gold Coast clinic started by Doug Shelton and the Westmead Children’s Hospital Clinic are mentioned.

What does the speaker suggest to increase awareness and discussion about FASD?

The speaker suggests that FASD needs to become a mainstream conversation topic, similar to how Autistic Spectrum Disorder became a topic of mainstream conversation in the nineties and recent years.

What is the speaker's opinion on the visibility of FASD in public discourse?

The speaker believes that FASD needs to come out of the closet and be discussed more openly.