Can my child with FAS qualify for Regional Center services?

The eligibility categories for Regional Center services are cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual disability (ID), epilepsy, or the "fifth category," which is used for conditions that are similar to intellectual disability and are not solely physical disabilities. Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) or fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) might be eligible for Regional Center services, but it depends on their needs. They must have significant functional limitations in three different areas.

If a child does not have intellectual disability but their adaptive scores are very low, parents could make an argument that treatment is similar to someone with intellectual disability. They need to be able to demonstrate that the condition requires similar treatment. When applying for Regional Center services on behalf of your child, make sure they do adaptive assessments in addition to a neuropsych evaluation.

You could also talk to other parents of kids with the same diagnosis who have Regional Center; see what worked for them, what evaluations they got, or what arguments they made.

Find more information in our article How to Get Started with Regional Center.