Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in Forensic Contexts

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is an urgent and growing public health concern in Scotland. Research suggests that 1 in 7 babies are born at risk of FASD, with an estimated prevalence of 3.25–5%—three to four times higher than autism.

Caused by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), FASD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. Without timely diagnosis and appropriate support, individuals with FASD face increased risks of:

• Poor educational outcomes
• Mental health difficulties
• Substance misuse
• Involvement with the criminal justice system
• Premature death due to violence, accidents, or suicide

Early identification and intervention can significantly reduce these risks and help individuals reach their full potential.

👥 About the Workshop

The Fetal Alcohol Advisory Support & Training Team (FAASTT), funded by the Scottish Government, supports Scotland’s health and social care workforce through training, consultation, and research to improve awareness and response to FASD. This session, run jointly with the Forensic Network, aims to support forensic and criminal justice practitioners in their response to FASD.

Who should attend?

Professionals working in criminal justice and forensic mental health settings who want to deepen their understanding of FASD and improve their response to affected individuals.

What will be covered?

• Core features and presentation of FASD
• High prevalence in justice-involved populations
• How to recognise affected individuals
• Role of PAE in risk formulation (including use of the HCR-20)
• Service development and training needs to enhance workforce capacity

🎓 Meet the Speakers

Dr Suzanne O'Rourke

Suzanne is a senior lecturer in clinical psychology at the University of Edinburgh and consultant in clinical, forensic and neuropsychology at the State Hospital. Historically, Suzanne’s research interests have been focused on the inter-relationships between psychosis, neuropsychology and offending behaviours particularly the contribution of cognitive impairment to inpatient violence, or violent and sexual offending in the wider population. Suzanne was the lead author for the Scottish Sentencing Council’s 2020 review on the development of cognitive and emotional maturity in adolescents and its relevance in judicial contexts. More recently, her focus has moved to FASD. Since 2020 Suzanne has been co-lead of the Scottish Government funded Fetal Alcohol Advisory Support and Training Team (FAASTT).

Dr Jen Shields

Dr Jen Shields is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with additional training in Paediatric Clinical Neuropsychology. Jen is a Lecturer in FASD and is a co-lead of the Fetal Alcohol Advisory, Support and Training (FAAST) Team now based at the University of Edinburgh. Jen undertook her Psychology honours degree at Strathclyde University and thereafter her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Glasgow. Jen is HCPC registered and has worked for many years in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Community Paediatrics. She has a high level of expertise in the identification and support of complex neurodevelopmental presentations, particularly Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Jen was a member of the guideline development groups for the SIGN Guideline for Autism (SIGN 145) and the SIGN Guideline for Children & Young People exposed prenatally to alcohol (SIGN 156).