Specialist Neurodevelopmental Assessment and Consultation Service (SNACS)
SNACS was developed using materials from the FMF Program by Michelle Kuhn and Heather Carmichael Olson at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
SNACS is a short-term consultation service with a provider who specializes in how prenatal exposures and related developmental differences. We assess children ages 3-12 with prenatal exposures to decide if they have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders or other conditions. In addition to confirmed prenatal substance exposure, most children that we see also have other developmental conditions (i.e., ADHD, speech delay, autism) or complex trauma. SNACS usually involves three to five 90-minute appointments. Appointments include caregiver interview, psychological testing, feedback about your child’s development, and connection to services and resources.
SNACS also provides consultation without psychological testing for caregivers of adolescents ages 13-17 who could benefit from support in transition planning.
There is an operating SNACS Clinic at the Seattle Children’s Autism Center, and this model can be reproduced. For more information about SNACS and to contact us, please visit Seattle Children’s Hospital website through the links below.
Research
Ola, C., Lee, A., Kuhn, M., Montague, R., Chew, B. & Olson, H.C. (under review). Specialized Neurodevelopmental Assessment and Consultation Service (SNACS): An innovative service model for children with prenatal alcohol exposure based at an autism centre. Submitted to BMC Pediatrics.