Postgraduate Course: Advanced Practice in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) (Online) (CLPS11105)
Course Outline
| School | School of Health in Social Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will support professionally registered health, education and social care professionals in developing their advanced level practice in the area of service development to aid the assessment, diagnosis and post-diagnostic support for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This course builds upon knowledge from the Assessment and diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder [CLPS11096], or extensive clinical experience, and provides students an opportunity to apply the knowledge developed in the precursor course to hypothetical complex cases and scenarios.
This course is the third of three, each of which can be taken individually, that comprise the PgC in FASD (online). Together, the three courses are designed to meet the training needs of health and social care professionals working with individuals who have experience of FASD, those required to diagnosis FASD or those providing post diagnostic care or recommendations.
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| Course description |
This course will support health and social care professionals, either qualified or in training, (e.g. paediatricians, psychiatrists, general practitioners, psychologists, social workers, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists) to develop their advanced level practice in service provision including assessment, diagnosis, and post-diagnosis support for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). The course will address the needs of individuals across the age spectrum and encompass clinical complexity in the context of evolving neurodevelopmental services which require training, consultation and support to enable trauma informed practice within the field of FASD
This entirely online course is intended to extend learning from The Assessment and Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder course, or the experience of those who have evidence of other training and experience in FASD assessment and diagnosis which is deemed a suitable foundation on which to build learning about complexities in FASD practice. The course will offer teaching on the culture and context of neurodevelopmental practice within which cases of FASD may arise, in addition to high level content on areas of complexity within FASD neurodevelopmental assessment. This will also include aspects of multidisciplinary team assessment and the analysis and formulation of a range of case examples requiring skills in complex differential diagnosis.
Participants will be able to:
- Use diagnostic guidelines to assess whether complex, hypothetical, cases examples would warrant a diagnosis of FASD
- Explain and apply knowledge to assess appropriate diagnoses in complex case examples that require differential diagnosis
- Formulate hypothetical cases where there is additional complexity including; a history of additional pre- and post-natal exposures and trauma, involvement in criminal justice, co-existing conditions and / or trauma, risk, poly substance exposure and genetic contributions.
- Describe and evaluate the current diagnostic classification systems and potential service structures.
- Develop, and effectively communicate, a formulation and post-diagnostic recommendations
- Develop their confidence in undertaking assessments for individuals who may have FASD with reference to several aspects of case complexity including co-existing conditions, complexity, criminal justice involvement, trauma, genetic contributors and polysubstance use.
- Post-diagnostic recommendations and formulation
Throughout the course, participants will be asked to critically evaluate and reflect on the topics discussed and to be mindful of the ethical issues surrounding work in this field, particularly the importance of a non-judgemental, trauma-focused, humanistic approach.
Taking place over ten weeks, the course will provide students with the opportunity to work through hypothetical case studies in order to practice and consolidate their skills. This process will be supported by seminars and live content that will allow them to compare their conclusions with others and reflect on best practice with tutors in a supported environment.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
The assessment and diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) (Online) (CLPS11096)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | The course is designed for those directly involved in the assessment and diagnosis of FASD specifically; Medical professionals, Clinical or Educational Psychologists, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Clinical Associates in Applied Psychology and Social Workers. Other professionals will also find the content relevant to their work including; Midwives, Health visitors and teachers working with special educational needs. Applicants should be in possession of a current registration with an appropriate accrediting professional body or national organisation. Students should have a rudimentary knowledge of standardised assessments which involve scoring and analysis, e.g., use of percentiles, scaled or standard scores. Please contact the course administrator should you require further information in advance of submitting your application.
Students are also required to have completed The Assessment and Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder prior to commencing this course, or to have evidence of other training and experience in FASD assessment and diagnosis which is deemed a suitable foundation on which to build learning about complexities in FASD practice.
If English is not the students first language, evidence of written and spoken English competency must be provided. Evidence of English language competency can include:
A) A degree from a university in an English-speaking majority country,
OR
B) We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:
- IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component.
- TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
- C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
- Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
- PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.
Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 6,
Online Activities 14,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Two 2000 word essays submitted during the course (100% of overall course mark, each essay is worth 50% each) |
| Feedback |
Students will be asked to work on hypothetical case studies and to discuss their conclusions during seminars; an opportunity that will provide both formative assessment and feedback. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Evaluate the suitability of current service structures in enabling access to assessment, formulations and diagnoses of FASD in conjunction with other members of a multi-disciplinary team.
- Describe the role that additional pre- and post -natal exposures (e.g., other substances and trauma) have on the conceptualisation of a diagnosis of FASD and how teratogenic effects from these might also influence the formulation.
- Apply experience of the intricacies of the multi-disciplinary team assessment process in providing post-diagnosis support and recommendations for individuals with FASD across the lifespan, incorporating the findings of the diagnostic assessment across neurocognitive areas.
- Undertake a process of complex assessment and differential diagnosis and to communicate a diagnosis of FASD in a sensitive manner with consideration of the multiple factors within the formulation e.g. trauma, adverse childhood experiences and the intergenerational impacts of these.
- Support professionals with supervision, training and support to enable those both within the diagnostic team and outside who are working with individuals to understand and communicate the brain-based needs of individuals with FASD.
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Reading List
Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) (2019) Children and young people exposed prenatally to alcohol. Edinburgh: SIGN.
Cook et al., (2016). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: a guideline for diagnosis across the lifespan. CMAJ, 3, 191-197. DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.141593
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Through this course graduates will possess the confidence to assess complex neurodevelopmental cases where multiple potential contributors and non-standard neurological profiles create the need for differential diagnosis. They will be able to formulate cases across the lifespan making appropriate recommendations for treatment and ongoing support. Importantly, they will be able to promote and model the communication of diagnoses in a respectful, sensitive and non-judgemental manner. These skills will allow students to supervise and support other professionals in their understanding and work with individuals with FASD. |
| Keywords | Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder; Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder; FASD; Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Suzanne O'Rourke
Tel: (0131) 537 4272
Email: Suzanne.O'Rourke@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Katie Killeen
Tel: (01316) 513969
Email: kkilleen@ed.ac.uk |
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