Assessing & supporting children & young people with probable or diagnosed fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: The experience of clinicians working within child & adolescent mental health services.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are a group of conditions that occur due to prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), which impacts physical, behavioural, and cognitive ability. The literature demonstrates that healthcare professionals lack knowledge and understanding of FASD, resulting in children and young people (CYP) often getting misdiagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders or the diagnosis of FASD missed, increasing their risk of experiencing secondary mental health difficulties. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are the commissioned service to diagnose neurodevelopmental conditions and support CYP with mental health difficulties, therefore, it is likely that CYP with probable or diagnosed FASD will present in CAMHS. There is currently no research exploring the awareness and understanding of FASD within these services.