It's here!!
FASD Awareness Month
- Connect with local support for FASD
- If you are the member of a group, share the group’s info in social media
Hashtags: #FASDUK #FASDStrongerTogether
BACKGROUND
The FASD UK Alliance is coalition of independent groups and individuals from across the UK who are united together for positive social change for those affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). You can find the FASD UK Alliance groups here. Have a look! If one is in your area, reach out!
If you are running a support group and you are not part of the Alliance, you can register here.
If there is no FASD support group in your area, you can perhaps start one (It’s best to start small by organising a coffee morning or two). A local paediatrician who diagnoses might be willing to share your info about a coffee morning with other families for you.
Or you can find other parents who experience similar challenges by hooking up with local groups that are for children with additional needs, special educational needs, learning disabilities, neurodiversity, etc. It’s important to break the isolation.
Some have found it helpful to set up a secret Facebook group or a WhatsApp group with some close family and friends and start sharing information in there about FASD, about your challenges as a family, etc, to help build informed support out of the busy social media glare.
OTHER LOCAL SUPPORT
For those in England remember you also can check your local offer, which will show what support is available in your area for those with special educational needs and disabilities, including groups that are available to provide respite and support. Google ‘local offer’ and your area.
In Scotland, the “go to” place for SEND / Education is Enquire Scotland https://enquire.org.uk/parents/duties/ There website is full of lots of relevant info, signposting and free to access factsheet.
Each LA area in Scotland has a Carers Association.
Most LAs will also have a CHAD team who support children with disabilities (diagnosis needed). Through them Direct Payments can be accessed for respite. Useful info explained here as an example.
In Wales, there’s nothing like the Local Offer, so you would need to search for each part of the provision separately on each local authority’s website.
In Northern Ireland you can look at Family Support NI for some links that might be useful.
Carers UK have links for local support here.
And of course, throughout the UK you can reach out to the larger more generic charities that help support neurodiverse people, like Mencap, the ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity, etc.
National FASD social media tags:
Facebook: @National FASD
Instagram: @nationalfasd
Twitter: @NationalFASD
WHAT'S FASD?
Click here to download background about FASD.
Or go here for more info on our website.
For children and young people – go to www.fasd.me.
