We provide downloadable, printer-friendly information sheets on a wide range of topics that we know — from lived experience — are especially important to parents, caregivers, grandparents and whānau, as well as professionals supporting individuals with FASD.
For most subjects, you’ll find both a concise two-page pānui and a more detailed resource for those wanting to explore the topic in greater depth. We’ll continue to expand this collection over time with new sheets added regularly.
Our information sheets below are listed in alphabetical order.
People with FASD have brain differences as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure which lead to predictable cognitive challenges that we call common thinking traps – these include catastrophising, perseveration or emotional reasoning. This resource has tips on how to spot them alongside practical strategies to work through them.
The cognitive challenges of those with FASD make punishment pointless – it simply adds trauma. Instead of focusing on stopping challenging behaviour through consequences, CP encourages caregivers to understand the underlying brain needs and feelings of the child – think 'brain not blame' and 'connection before correction'.
People with FASD often experience a range of eating difficulties. It's common for impaired executive function to cause a loss of ability to interpret hunger or satiety signals which can lead to either undereating or overeating. Other symptoms of FASD such as challenges with sensory processing and oral motor skills are also typical issues.
The unique and intense form of fatigue commonly experienced by those with FASD stems from a combination of neurological, physical and environmental factors. It's not laziness – it's a pervasive exhaustion that goes far beyond typical tiredness. Understanding this can help you provide accommodations and support that may improve your relationship.
'Behaviourism' is old-school – it's the belief that improving the behaviour of all tamariki / children comes about through simple training using rewards and punishments. But this can compound trauma for those with FASD, so it's essential to move 'beyond behaviourism'. When we understand that behaviours are symptoms of brain differences, we can stop punishing their disability and instead build supportive, successful environments.
The significant challenges that people with FASD face make them very vulnerable to poor mental health, which can lead to self-medication with alcohol or substances and suicidal ideation. This is a sobering look at the facts and figures of the increased mental health issues associated with FASD. Our tips for boosting mental health in rangatahi / young people can be read here.
Multiple brain-based factors combine to produce enormous challenges for motivation for people with FASD. Understanding this allows for effective strategies that help them engage, learn, and thrive.
Procrastination can be a problem for anyone, but neurodivergent people struggle with it more than most. It can happen for complex emotional reasons which can include anxiety, low self-confidence, fear of failure and overwhelm.
Although FASD is not 'curable, a person's life outcomes can be powerfully shaped by 'protective factors' such as a supportive home, early diagnosis, and FASD-informed caregivers. Advocacy, compassion, and consistent support can help people with FASD not just survive, but thrive.
Sleep can be a major issue for people with FASD. Although it has not been formally, scientifically investigated, it is widely accepted that neurodiversity brings challenges that routinely include sleep problems and these can significantly impact day to day life for the individual, caregivers and whānau alike. This information sheet lists some of the problems and a list of suggestions for changing sleep routines for the better.
Our window of tolerance is the space where we feel calm, present, and able to cope – imagine it as paddling peacefully down a river. It's easier for a person with FASD (and their parents or caregivers) to be find themselves suddenly outside this calm zone – either into rapids or being becalmed, which manifests as fight or flight, or shutdown / freeze.
