YOUTH PROBATION OFFICER'S GUIDE TO FASD SCREENING AND REFERRAL
Through its Youth Justice FASD Program and research initiatives, the Asante Centre has developed a screening tool and referral process for use by youth probation officers that has been found to be effective in identifying youth who are likely to receive an FASD diagnosis, when assessed. The FASD Screening and Referral Tool for Youth Probation Officers and accompanying guidebook were selected for use by communities and professionals across Canada by the Taskforce for the Development of FASD Screening Tools. The tool has been included in the National Screening Tool Kit for Children and Youth Identified and Potentially Affected by FASD, by the Canadian Association of Pediatric Health Centres (CAPHC).
Feel free to refer to this screening tool, and submit a referral if you are a BC-based Youth Probation Officer: Youth Probation Officer FASD Screening & Referral Tool
Youth Probation Officers may also find this guide helpful when using the Screening Tool, although we caution that due to its age, much of the information in the guide is out of date, and it does not reflect the current 2015 Canadian Guidelines for FASD diagnosis.
In a one year study of youth remanded to a forensic psychiatric inpatient assessment unit, 23.3% were diagnosed with FASD (Conry et al., 1997). Similar rates of confirmed (10%) and possible (18%) FASD in a Canadian adult prison have been found (MacPherson and Chudley, 2007). The overall prevalence rates of FASD in the population are estimated at 2-5% (May et al, 2009). Therefore, people with FASD are clearly disproportionately represented in the justice system. The Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) stipulates that special considerations need to be made for young offenders with special needs, including FASD, to rehabilitate and prevent or reduce recidivism. A youth with FASD may have cognitive and adaptive skills developmentally younger than their stated age. Consequently, many of the YCJA provisions that are based on chronological age are inherently detrimental to these youths’ fair treatment. However, in order for special considerations to be given, the special needs must be identified.
