What is FAE?

When we took OLA to see the behavioral specialist he told us that we were devefinently seeing some FAE. Now in the grand scheme of FASD the acronym FAE is becoming obsolete and being used less and less. In newer terms these children will often be listed as having ARND. Just a new way of saying that the child is living with the consequence of being prenatally exposed to alcohol. However, there are people out there who still use it. So what is FAE?

Definition: Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) is one of a spectrum of neurological impairments that can affect a child who has been exposed to alcohol in the womb. Children with FAE are not as obviously impaired as children diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) -- they usually lack the distinctive FAS facial features and have normal IQs -- and so FAE is sometimes described as less serious. Sadly, however, children with FAE are in fact more likely to have negative outcomes such as trouble with school, trouble with the law and teen pregnancy; the fact that they look "normal" but can't behave that way due to brain damage causes them to face unrealistic expectations without appropriate support, which can have serious repercussions for these children and their families. The term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is being used more and more to stress the fact that there are a variety of ways in which alcohol can affect a developing child and no particular set of impairments is "better" or "worse."

Definition: Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) refers to the range of neurological impairments that can affect a child who has been exposed to alcohol in the womb.

Also Known As: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Effects, Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Delays, Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, prenatal alcohol exposure

Definition: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is one of a spectrum of neurological impairments that can affect a child who has been exposed to alcohol in the womb. Children with FAS have distinctive facial features that identify them as having alcohol-related damage, including a small head, flat philtrum, droopy eyelids, flat nose, and a face that looks a little bit too big for the head. Children with FAS may also have low IQs, but not always. Individuals who have been exposed to alcohol prenatally and have fetal-alcohol-related behaviors but not the facial features may be described as having Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) or Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND). The term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is being used more and more to stress the fact that there are a variety of ways in which alcohol can affect a developing child and no particular set of impairments is "better" or "worse."

Definition: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) refers to the range of neurological impairments that can affect a child who has been exposed to alcohol in the womb. A number of factors, including how much the mother drank and at what point during the pregnancy, can influence the severity of the impairments and what functions they most affect. Children with FASD can display symptoms of ADHD, autism, Asperger syndrome, Tourette's syndrome, epilepsy, mental retardation and various psychiatric disorders, but will often not respond to traditional treatments for those disabilities.
FASD was formerly referred to as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects, but the new designation better indicates the range of abilities and disabilities experienced by individuals exposed to alcohol in utero.

Also Known As: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Effects, Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder, Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, prenatal alcohol exposure.

Alternate Spellings: Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, Foetal Alcohol Effects, Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

So at this point the Geneticist is saying most likely FAS and the behavioral specialist is saying FAE. Who's right - in a sense they both are. He is reaping the rewards of the alcohol he had before he was even born.

Either way he has disabilities caused by the prenatal exposure to acohol. On a practical note we would like to see the diagnosis of FAS because it is the one that will allow him to have access to greater services.