Embracing Hope Book

Why This Matters

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, autism, or a mood disorder — but traditional treatments aren’t working — you’re not alone. Up to 90% of individuals with FASD are misdiagnosed, often carrying multiple psychiatric or educational labels without anyone ever identifying the root cause: prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE).

Understanding FASD’s connection to other diagnoses is essential for getting the right support, and for building a care plan that truly fits the brain behind the behavior.

What Are Comorbidities?

In simple terms, a comorbidity means a condition that appears alongside another condition. With FASD, comorbidities are extremely common — not because FASD causes other conditions, but because the brain is affected in multiple ways.

Research has identified 428 known comorbidities linked to prenatal alcohol exposure. These include:

• • Neurodevelopmental: ADHD, learning disabilities, developmental delays
  • Psychiatric: Anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, conduct disorder
  • Sensory: Sensory Processing Disorder, auditory processing disorder
  • Physical: Heart defects, immune disorders, sleep disturbances

Most Common Misdiagnoses (and Why)

Here are some of the most frequent conditions that individuals with FASD are mistakenly diagnosed with — often without recognition of the underlying PAE.

The Cost of Misdiagnosis

• • Wrong treatments (e.g., behavioral plans that escalate frustration)
  • Overmedication without improvement
  • School interventions that don’t work
  • Family blame for behaviors outside of the child’s control
  • Delayed access to the support that could truly help

How to Talk to Professionals About Possible FASD

• • “We’ve tried several behavioral interventions, but they haven’t worked. Could this be a brain-based disability like FASD?”
  • “My child shows traits of ADHD and autism, but they’ve also had prenatal alcohol exposure. Can we explore that as a possible underlying cause?”
  • “I’d like to bring in information about FASD and ND-PAE. It might help us understand why certain supports haven’t worked.”

Red Flags That Might Suggest FASD
(Especially if Misdiagnosed)

• • Medications don’t work—or may make things worse
  • Learns a skill one day, forgets it the next
  • Can talk the talk, but can’t walk the walk
  • Meltdowns triggered by transitions or unpredictability
  • Difficulty learning from consequences
  • Needs frequent repetition and supervision
  • Family history includes adoption or child welfare involvement