Outcomes and needs of health and education professionals following fetal alcohol spectrum disorder-specific training.

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Reid, Natasha
White, Codi
Hawkins, Erinn
Crawford, Andi
Liu, Wei
Shanley, Dianne
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2019
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Abstract

AIM: Understanding professionals' views and needs can help advance service provision and improve future training opportunities, Therefore, the current study examined the experiences of Australian and New Zealand professionals who have attended fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)-specific training and the impact of this training on their current practices. METHODS: A total of 52 health and education professionals from Australia and New Zealand completed an online survey that asked about their training experiences; changes in practice following training; their experiences implementing assessments in their workplace; and, for Australian professionals, their experiences of using the recently released Australian Guide to FASD diagnosis. RESULTS: Respondents described a range of perceived practice changes following training attendance. These included increases in: asking about alcohol use during pregnancy; providing referrals for assessments; providing assessments and consultation with other professionals regarding FASD diagnosis. Qualitative findings also demonstrated themes of increased knowledge, awareness and/or confidence about providing neurodevelopmental assessments and FASD diagnosis following training. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to document training and practice experiences of Australian and New Zealand professionals in relation to FASD. Overall, training efforts were well received by professionals and were effective in changing professionals' self-reported practice. Future investment in FASD-specific training initiatives and increased resources to enable neurodevelopmental assessments for all complex presentations, including FASD, is warranted.

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Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
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Subject
Health services and systems
Testing, assessment and psychometrics
Paediatrics
Australia
New Zealand
fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
practitioner training
professional development
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Reid, N; White, C; Hawkins, E; Crawford, A; Liu, W; Shanley, D, Outcomes and needs of health and education professionals following fetal alcohol spectrum disorder-specific training., Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2019, pp. 1-7
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