Arrest stage

During arrest an individual with FASD may:

  • act inappropriately when touched during arrest due to sensory integration problems
  • become aggressive due to sensory overload from noise, flashing lights and activity at the scene or inability to read non-verbal gestures
  • respond inappropriately to what was being asked because of difficulty processing language
  • be unable to organize thoughts, process information or understand written language.

People with FASD may also be more likely to make voluntary statements without understanding the implications for them. See “Problems with voluntary statements” below for more information.