After 25 years of operation, organizers of Emporia’s Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic Clinic are glad for the supports they have provided to families and are looking to build on those successes.
The Trusler Business Center’s conference room was busy Wednesday with current team members, founding members and representatives of clinic partners. Clinic co-founder Dr Wes Jones says it’s a service that benefits parents and children.
Appointments take place at CareArc, but CrossWinds Counseling and Wellness takes the lead with organizing the clinic. CrossWinds CEO Amanda Cunningham adopted a child with fetal alcohol syndrome. She says the clinic offers hope to parents and opens doors for patients.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder has a wide range of diagnoses — over 20 — according to Community Based Services Director Kayla Scott.
Jones says Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is common among foster children, with over 60 percent likely suffering from some level of substance abuse. He says impulsivity, poor decisions and increased risk of substance use can often lead to issues at school that may look like ADHD but have totally different causes.
Using ADHD as an example, Scott says untreated issues with FAS can easily cause negative self-esteem and other issues.
Speaking of ADHD, Jones says a lot of those cases warrant a second look towards possible exposure to substance abuse.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders affects up to 5 percent of school-aged children in the United States, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Up to 15 percent of pregnancies with any exposure to alcohol can lead to a fetal alcohol spectrum issue and around 1.5 percent lead to full Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
Parents with questions or who want to schedule an appointment can call Scott or Maddison Groh at CrossWinds, 620-343-2211.
