Examples*

​​Specific learning disabilities (especially math and/or visual-spatial deficits); uneven profile of cognitive skills; poor academic achievement; discrepancy between verbal and nonverbal skills; and slowed movements or reaction to people and stimuli (e.g., poor information processing)

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Poor organisation, planning, or strategy use; concrete thinking; lack of inhibition; difficulty grasping cause and effect; inability to delay gratification; difficulty following multi-step directions; difficulty changing strategies or thinking of things in different ways; poor judgment; and inaby to apply knowledge to new situations.

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Delayed motor milestones; difficulty with writing or drawing; clumsiness; balance problems; tremors; and poor dexterity. For infants, a poor suck is often observed.

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Described as "busy", inattentive; easily distracted; difficulty calming down; overly active; difficulty completing tasks; and/or trouble with transitions. Parents might report inconsistency in attention from day to day (e.g., "on" days and "off" days).

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Lack of stranger fear; often the scapegoat; naivete and gullibility; easily taken advantage of; inappropriate choice of friends; preference for younger friends; immaturity; superficial interactions; adaptive skills signifiantly below cognitive potential; inappropriate sexual behaviours; difficulty understanding the perspective of others; poor social cognition; and clinically significant inappropriate initiations or interactions.

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Sensory problems (e.g., tactile defensiveness and oral sensitivity); pragmatic language problems (e.g., difficulty reading facial expressions; poor ability to understand the perspectives of others); memory deficits (e.g., frgetting well learned material, needing many trials to remember); and difficulty responding appropriately to common parenting practices (e.g., not understanding cause-and-effect discipline).

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*These examples are not exhaustive nor mutually exclusive. All domains should be assessed using norm-referenced standardised measures and by appropriate professionals using reliable and validated instruments.

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​Source: Adapted from Bertrand,J., Floyd, R. L., Weber, M. K., O'Connor, M., Riley, E. P.,Johnson, K. A., Cohen, D. E., & National Task Force on FAS/FAE. Fetal alcohol syndrome: Guideiines for referral and diagnosis. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;2004.