Needs of professionals working with individuals with FASD in Spain.
Spanish staff echo the world: we need basic FASD training and tools.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Dídac et al. (2026) asked 322 Spanish professionals about FASD.
They used an online survey.
Teachers, doctors, and social workers answered questions on knowledge, tools, and training.
What they found
Most staff said they know little about FASD.
They also said they lack teaching materials and clear care plans.
The team concluded Spain needs a joint training program for all disciplines.
How this fits with other research
Mammarella et al. (2022) pooled 58 surveys across the world and saw the same gap.
Their review shows health, justice, and education staff everywhere miss key facts.
The Spanish numbers simply add one more country to that picture.
Reid et al. (2021) tried a fix: a one-day co-design workshop lifted rural staff knowledge.
Together the papers say the problem is global, but short hands-on training can help.
Why it matters
If you work with developmental delay, expect FASD to be missed or misunderstood.
Push your agency to add a brief FASD module to yearly training.
Use ready-made kits from recent studies so you do not create content from scratch.
Get CEUs on This Topic — Free
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Add one FASD fact sheet to today’s team meeting and schedule a short in-service.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure is one of the main preventable causes of developmental disorders and health anomalies in children. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a diagnostic term that encompasses a range of physical, cognitive, and behavioural impairments. Although this condition is gradually attracting greater attention among professionals, knowledge and awareness of its real impact - and of how to intervene effectively - remains limited. This lack of understanding shapes the work of professionals when they must support individuals affected by FASD. The aim of this study is to explore the knowledge that professionals working in Catalonia have about FASD, as well as the difficulties they perceive in carrying out their work with this population. Using an ad hoc questionnaire, responses were obtained from 322 professionals across different sectors. The results indicate limited training among professionals regarding FASD and a widespread sense that there are insufficient services and resources to carry out their work properly. The findings also highlight the need for stronger multidisciplinary coordination. Having previously worked with a person with FASD, and having broader prior professional experience, are both associated with more positive subjective perceptions of professionals' ability to work with this population. Greater training across sectors is required to address the broader challenges associated with FASD, together with the development of services and programmes for prevention, detection, and intervention.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2026 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2026.105273