In a wide-ranging active case study of over 13,000 mixed-population, first-grade students in four regions of the United States, the most conservative prevalence estimate of FASD was found to be as many as 1 in 20 first-grade students. This is about 1 child in every classroom in America with an FASD.  (Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in 4 US Communities).

• Consistent routines

• Limited stimulation

• Concrete language and examples

• Multi-sensory learning (visual, auditory and tactile)

•  Realistic expectations

• Supportive environments

• Supervision

No, According to the CDC There is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy or when trying to get pregnant. There is also no safe time to drink during pregnancy. Alcohol can cause problems for a developing baby throughout pregnancy, including before a woman knows she’s pregnant. All types of alcohol are equally harmful, including all wines and beer.

The cognitive and behavioral impairments associated with FASD may include lower IQ and second are deficits in motor skills. Most have attention, executive function (working memory, problem solving, planning, and response inhibition), language, visual perception, adaptive functioning (skills necessary for everyday living), many struggle to tell time or manage money for example. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: A Review of the Neurobehavioral Deficits Associated with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure.

Facial feature are only seen in less than 10% of children with FASD. Facial features alone can not diagnose someone with FASD.  As described in the scientific paper Evolution of the Physical Phenotype of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders from Childhood through Adolescence, “Key facial features that characterize FASD in early childhood diminish or evolve in some individuals, making diagnostic examinations that rely on these characteristics most sensitive during early childhood and school age. Given that several features and small head circumference diminished with age, many individuals would be misdiagnosed if only examined at a later age.

Studies have found that among children diagnosed with FASD 70% are or have been in foster care, (Burd, 2011). Studies suggest that a rise in alcohol and drug use by women has resulted in 60% more children coming into state care since 1986. Burd, L., Cohen, C., Shah, R., & Norris, J. (2011). A court team model for young children in foster care: The role of prenatal alcohol exposure and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Int. J Law Psychiatry , 39(1), 179-191.