Yukon to create FASD diagnostic team for adults

The Yukon is going to train a team of doctors and psychologists to diagnoseadults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Yukon already has FASD diagnostic teams for children and youth, butexperts from southern Canada visit to diagnose adults.

Mike McCann, the executive directorof the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Society, says a diagnosis can be particularly helpful when people are involved in the courts and their condition is not known.

"We automatically assume competence. And we assume the behaviour we're seeing in front of us is wilful behaviour so if they just tried harder, if they just listened more," McCann says.

McCann says no one knows how many Yukoners have FASD. He says it could range anywhere from five to 25 per cent of the population.

He says old prejudices and stigma still prevail making it difficult for a community, family or individual to ask for help.

"We're still associating shame with the disability you will hear that it's 100 per cent preventable but that's a relatively simplistic statement," he says.

"Many women become pregnant, and they're drinking and don't know they're pregnant. So there's no malicious intent."

The diagnosis will be on a voluntary basis.