Assessment and Diagnosis

Why get an assessment?

- To get to know yourself better

People with and without FASD have strengths and weaknesses. A full assessment that looks at all areas of functioning will give a better picture of what a person is good at, and what they most need help with.

Learning about your own strengths and weaknesses allows you to take advantage of situations you excel at, and ask for help in situations where you need it. It also gives those that want to help you a starting point so they can learn how to help you more.

- To access services

Some services require that you have a formal assessment done that shows why you may need services to help you. The assessment will provide the information so service providers and other individuals will know if you qualify for services so you can access the services you need.

- To answer questions you have about yourself

If you are wondering why you face the challenges that you do in life the assessment provides some insight into who you are, and possibly, why you are that way.

It may answer questions others have about you as well. Family members have said in the past that it was helpful for them to know why someone they knew and cared about had challenges, and helped them know what to do to help.

- To encourage others to find out more about you

Those people that work with individuals who have FASD should be encouraged to learn more about the disability. You can teach them about what you learned about yourself, or direct they to resources that may help them to learn.

- To access Disability Benifits

An assessment will help you find out if you are eligible to recieve disability benifits from the government.

Learn more about disability benefits.

What is Involved in a Youth or Adult Assessment?

How do I make a referral?

If you or a family member is interested in a diagnosis you can contact the Asante Centre to make a referral. You will speak to the Family Nurse Clinician or Family Support Worker who can begin to help you gather information and direct you to resources.

Phone number: 604-467-7101

What documents do I need?

In order to start an assessment the Asante Centre will need to review information about your health, school experiences and any past assessments. This information will be looked at by members of the team so that they will know the complete picture of you. Documents required include:

- Birth records
- Medical records
- School Records
- Past assessments
- Confirmation of alcohol use by mother

After all of the documents have been gathered an appointment will be scheduled.

Where does the assessment happen?

The Asante Centre is located in Maple Ridge, B.C.

How much does an assessment cost?

There is a fee for service. You will need to talk to the Asante Centre to find out the exact cost for your assessment.

How long does the assessment take?

The full assessment and consultation takes one and a half to two days to complete and involves the following:

1. Medical Assessment

As part of the complete assessment a medical doctor will complete a medical assessment. Your fine motor skills, gross motor skills, reflexes, height weight and hearing will all be tested.

2. Psychology Assessment

A psychologist tests your memory, visual problem-solving, academic abilities and intelligence as part of the assessment.

3. Speech and Language Assessment

As part of the assessment the speech-language pathologist tests your understanding of language, use of language, verbal reasoning and use of speech sounds.

In addition to the testing the team will interview people that know you the best and are supporting you to gather information about you and what your needs are.

4. Family Conference

You and your family members and support people will meet with the Asante Centre team to talk about the results of the assessment. All of the testing results are shared at this time, including the medical, psychology and speech-language testing. The final diagnosis is also shared and discussed.

With the help of you and your family and your support people a list of recommendations are made. These guidelines about what to do take into account what was discovered by the testing and your own needs and interests.

5. Report

The Asante Centre team writes a report which includes the diagnosis, testing results and recommendations.
The report will be sent out some time after the assessment is completed.

6. Support Services

After the complete assessment and sharing of the results the family support worker is available to help the individual with FASD, their family and support persons to access services and follow through on recommendations. Phone consultations and site visits are available.

Counselling and speech-language services are also available through the Asante Centre at a fee.

A full assessment booklet is available for you to print out.