Evaluating The Psycholegal Abilities Of Young Offenders With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

In the field of speech language pathology, children may come onto a caseload with an identification of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. About 0.5 to 3 in every 1,000 live births is a child impaired by maternal alcohol use during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder has a strong correlation with language delays and language impairments. This research paper will review the relationship between fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and language delays or impairments.

Although throughout the United States activist and educational campaigns have flooded U.S citizens with education on the detrimental effects of maternal alcohol consumption, women are still continuing to consume alcohol while pregnant. Fifty three percent of non-pregnant woman drink alcohol, and despite health warnings, twelve percent of pregnant mothers in the United States still consume alcohol (Pruett &Waterman & Caughey, 2013, p. 62). Fetal alcohol exposure is also believed to be widely underreported in the United States (Pruett et al., 2013, p. 66). Current research concludes that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, nor a safe time during gestation for alcohol consumption to take place (National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome [NOFAS], 2014). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term used for the various conditions that maternal alcohol consumption causes. Although each case of FASD can present differently, cognitive disabilities, facial deformities, and growth retention are a few of the hallmark adverse effects that alcohol has when it enters fetal circulation (Paley & O’Connor, 2011, p. 64). The United States is impacted economically by these debilitating conditions as well, as it costs our nation $746 million dollars annually to care for these children (Bhuvaneswar, Chang, Epstein & Stern, 2007, p. 3). Nurses in America, and across the globe have a key role in helping to eliminate, and minimize adverse effects of these conditions

FAS is defined as a medical diagnosis involving four key features: alcohol exposure, growth deficiently, certain facial features, and brain damage. Infants who have been exposed to prenatal alcohol rarely show all symptoms of the medical condition FAS. Other terms have been used to describe the implication involved with FAS. Frequently used terms are: Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Alcohol-related Neurodevelopmental Disorder and Alcohol-related Birth Defects. A child with Partial Fetal Alcohol syndrome exhibits only some of the physical signs of FAS and will likely have both learning and behavioral difficulties. A child suffering from Alcohol-related Neurodevelopmental Disorder will demonstrate signs of neural damage, problems with memory, poor social skills, and learning difficulties. Children diagnosed with

Symptoms of Fetal Alcohol syndrome are present not only at birth, but also during gestation. Low prenatal growth, and birth weight are common primary signs. A small head, small eye openings, droopy eye lids, a short upturned nose, thin upper lip, and small jaw are just some of the many physical abnormalities that can occur with chronic drinking. The physical birth defects are devastating yet just as much damage is unseen by the naked eye. Central nervous system defects such as Mental Retardation and behavior disorders can be seen. Poor concentration, impulsiveness and lack of judgment have a severe impact on the child's overall development. Children with behavior problems also do worse than normal children in school. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome children have problems paying attention, score lower in mathematics and spelling, and have lower I.Q scores. Not only do these defects get worse as the child ages, the vicious cycle of alcohol abuse is also very likely to continue. Fetal Alcohol syndrome children are more likely to become alcohol dependant adults than children of mothers who did not drink. All the devastating disabilities last a lifetime. Early and accurate diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol

Cheely et al, had three aims for this study; first, is to assess the frequency and type of criminal charges experienced by youth with ASD, ages twelve to eighteen.. Second, is to examine and compare the adjudication outcomes for youth with ASD to a comparison group of non-ASD youth charged with offenses in the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ)

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a general term consist disabilities when a mother consumes alcohol during her pregnancy. The medical prognosis of FASD includes: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (PFAS), Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) and Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD). Moreover, teratogen is a harmful agent that can interrupt the development of an embryo. For instance, alcohol is teratogen. As per Health Canada, FASD is a leading cause of a completely avertable developmental disability but it still affects approximately one percent of the Canadian population (Batshaw, Roizen & Lotrecchiano, 2012). However, there are many alterations to the disabilities and the development of sub-groups. Thereby, the term FASD is introduced to ensure the incidence of all the characteristics (mental, behavioral and physical) associated with prenatal exposure to alcohol. The exposure to alcohol during the pregnancy places the infant at the risk of developing problems such as abnormal appearance, low body weight, poor coordination, low intelligence, facial abnormalities, neuropsychological deficits, central nervous system deficits and growth delays (Riley, Infante & Warren, 2011). As the paper progress, we will discuss the characteristics, causes and the epidemiology of FASD. In addition we will all focus on the mental disorder such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) associated with FASD and a

The CDC talks about the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders; the causes, prevention, symptoms, treatment and ways to get help. The FASDs causes the baby to have problems when they are born and throughout their whole life. The cause of FASDs is when a woman drinks alcohol when she’s pregnant, or does not know that she is pregnant will cause problems to herself and the baby. When the mother drinks alcohol it’s in her blood, and it passes to the baby through the umbilical cord (CDC). Obviously, the prevention of FASDs is to avoid alcohol when you’re pregnant or start feeling nausea, morning sickness or any other pregnancy symptoms. The symptom and signs of having this disorder are learning disabilities, poor memory, problem learning math, problems

FAS better known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can be prevented in any case. Women who openly drink alcohol or take drugs while knowing they are pregnant should in fact be found as a criminal. A law was put into effect this previous July in Tennessee stating that in the case you took drugs or drank while pregnant, you will be charged as a criminal and will be thrown into jail. Merrill Miller (2014) wrote the article What Are Mothers to Do? How a New Tennessee Law Criminalizes Pregnancy and Promotes Religion. This article further explains the law of criminalizing women who openly use drugs including alcohol while pregnant. This law was put into effect to show how narcotics are becoming an issue and our future generation is now paying for it.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders describes the wide range of effects that can occur if a mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects include physical abnormalities, mental problems, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications. The child affected is more likely to have trouble in school, problems with the law, participate in high risk behaviors and/or problems with drugs or alcohol. The most severe form of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is known as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

Pre-natal alcohol exposure is an established cause of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), which is now recognized as the most common preventable cause of mental impairment in North America (Popova et al., 2013). Individuals with FASD experience a wide range of neurological and psychological disabilities caused by permanent brain alterations (Petrenko et al., 2014). The adverse health outcomes that arise from FASD have lifelong implications and pose a significant burden on the Canadian health care system (Popova et al., 2013). From a public health perspective, FASD presents a unique and complex challenge due to the specialized needs of those diagnosed with FASD, and the complexities of maternal alcohol use.

To begin with, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are caused by a woman consuming alcohol while pregnant. This happens by, alcohol in the mother's blood passing to the baby through the umbilical cord. When mothers drink during any stage of their pregnancy it can cause the baby to be born with birth defects and to have multiple disabilities. Nevertheless ,there is no safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant or trying to become pregnant. Alcohol can cause many problems to the developing baby and risk a miscarriage.

School-age children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have complex clinical profiles and often struggle to socially communicate in effective and successful ways (Coggins, Olswang, Carmichael Olson, & Timler, 2003). It has been estimated that elementary school–age students may spend up to one-quarter to one-half of their school day engaged in paper-and-pencil tasks, which include handwriting (McHale & Cermak, 1992). Difficulties with handwriting can affect many aspects of a child’s participation in class. For example, poor handwriting can increase frustration with and avoidance of classroom tasks, thereby negatively influencing behavior (Kern & Bambara, 2002).

throughout the full thirty eight weeks of a pregnancy. The most severe cases of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are typically linked to alcohol consumption within the first trimester of pregnancy, more specifically the first few weeks after conception which can often be before the woman even knows she is pregnant. Physical deformities are the easiest to detect initially and are the first indication that a fetus may have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Abnormal facial features include small head, low nasal bridge, small eye openings, flat midface, epicanthal folds, thin upper lip, smooth philtrum, underdeveloped jaw, and short nose. Other physical characteristics include deformed limbs and lower/smaller (less than 10th percentile) than average height, weight, and head circumference (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Behavioral malformations can include attention deficit or hyperactivity, as well as impaired adaptive behavior, social skills, and social communication.2 A range of affected behavior is evident, with any degree of general impairment possible in intelligence, reflex development, motor coordination, and hyperactivity of muscle.1 Core deficits that are found in a majority of cases of prenatal alcohol exposure include deficits in attention, learning, memory, emotional dysregulation, and executive functioning, which

Since the discovery of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in 1973, government agencies have begun to give recommendations in a more precautious manner. I think that the intention behind it is to allow expecting or future mothers who consume large amounts of alcohol to feel confortable during their pregnancy. That they do not have to feel that they are being monitored or that they are being restricted from a right they are entitled to.