Graduate Certificate in the Diagnosis and Assessment of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)

This online course provides graduates trained in psychology, speech pathology, social work, occupational therapy, medicine (including paediatrics and psychiatry) with the specialist knowledge and clinical skills required to participate in team-based diagnosis and assessment of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).

Two coursework units provide in-depth knowledge of FASD concerning characteristics across the lifespan, common comorbidities, current theoretical accounts and issues, national and international diagnostic criteria, differential diagnoses, assessment tools and multidisciplinary team assessment. One practical unit provides training in FASD and another provides graded placement experiences of diagnostic assessments.

You will develop your oral and written communication skills in both academic and clinical contexts, including needing to communicate with professionals from other disciplines and with clients and their families, particularly within a cross-cultural context. The technical skills needed to carry out discipline relevant standardised assessments (e.g. relevant neuropsychological, speech pathology or occupational therapy tests) will be developed throughout the course, particularly in the practicum unit.

Graduates from the program will be able to complete discipline-specific assessments of children and adults presenting for FASD diagnosis, prepare appropriate reports, effectively coordinate their work with other members of multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary teams, and work responsibly in an agency providing diagnostic services.