Educators

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Students with FASD will present with a pronounced and complex set of needs that can make it difficult for teachers to know how best to support them.

This has implications for the inclusion of students with FASD in the classroom across the range of ages, curricula and educational settings.

In the UK, too little is known about FASD and the approaches that may be helpful in educating children affected. There is currently no UK government guidance on this. National FASD’s research led by Dr Carolyn Blackburn in 2010 remains among the most in-depth available (see resources below). We are seeking funding to take this project further.

Educators need more FASD-informed training.

Educational strengths of students with FASD

Students with FASD are often ambitious and have a range of practical strengths which are useful in their educational careers and throughout life.
Many are articulate and have engaging personalities. They enjoy being with other people.
Many have learning strengths around Literacy and practical subjects, such as Art, Performing Arts, Sport, and Technologies, although they often have difficulties with comprehension,
While they have working/short-term memory difficulties, rote learning and long-term memory can be strengths.

Educational difficulties of students with FASD

Developmental Difficulties
Medical Difficulties
Learning Difficulties
Behavioural Difficulties
Social Difficulties
Emotional Difficulties

From my experience those affected students in my Virtual School for Looked After Children achieved the most where trusted adults in their schools could interpret and reimagine the educational journey that the child was on. Making learning accessible for them, by setting small manageable steps and recognising that their pupil may well stumble meant that they were able to achieve.”

How does Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder impact on child development?

Characteristics of FASD will change over time and children’s developmental age will differ from their chronological age, as students with FASD will follow an asynchronous developmental pathway. Generally, however, the following characteristics may be observed:

Indicators and characteristics often seen in newborns or Infants

Low birth weight
Small size
Difficulty sleeping – unpredictable sleep/wake cycle
Failure to thrive
Feeding difficulties including weak sucking reflex
Heart defects, kidney problems, or skeletal anomalies
Increased sensitivity to light and sound and easily over stimulated
Poor fine motor control
Poor gross motor control
Seizures, tremors, or jitteriness
Susceptibility to infections
Vulnerable to ear infections

Indicators and characteristics often seen in preschool aged children

Missed or delayed developmental milestones such as walking, talking and toilet training
Increased emotional over-reaction and tantrums
Impulsivity and hyperactivity
Difficulty with gross and fine motor skills.
Lack of understanding of danger and stranger danger
Small stature
Speech delays (may include poor articulation, slow vocabulary or grammar development, or perseverative speech)
Difficulty in learning new skills that other children find easy
Difficulty with co-ordination and balance and muscle control

Educational difficulties of students with FASD

Developmental Difficulties
Medical Difficulties
Learning Difficulties
Behavioural Difficulties
Social Difficulties
Emotional Difficulties

A year 2 pupil that I knew refused to talk to his classroom teacher for 4 weeks after she got married, because it hadn’t registered that she would change her surname, despite everything that primary school had done about weddings! There will be things that will occur out of the blue despite the best planning.”

Characteristics often seen in primary school aged children

Attention deficits and hyperactivity
Language difficulties (delayed development or difficulties with expressive and/or receptive language)
Learning difficulties
Difficulties with short term memory
Poor impulse control (often seen as lying, stealing or defiant acts.)
Small stature
Social communication difficulties (may include being overly friendly with strangers and peers, immaturity, being easily influenced and difficulty in making choices).

Indicators and characteristics often seen in adolescents and young adults

Difficulties with abstract reasoning
Difficulty in understanding cause and effect/anticipating consequences
Lack of appropriate academic achievement
Low self-esteem
Memory impairments
Pronounced impulsiveness (often seen as lying, stealing or defiant acts)
Poor judgment
Hyperactivity/inattention
Ego centric behaviour leading to isolation from peers
Immaturity in social and emotional development
Inappropriate sexual behaviour

Sources: Carolyn Blackburn, Primary Framework and Secondary Framework (see below)

Resources

FASD in Focus – Characteristics by age

FASD in Focus – Education Profile

FASD in Focus – Tips for Educators

Virtual Schools and FASD

Teaching a Student with FASD

Primary Framework

by Dr Carolyn Blackburn

Secondary Framework

by Dr Carolyn Blackburn

Fact Sheets for Educators

The FASD Hub Scotland have a series of fact sheets for educators

Understanding FASD: What Educators Need to Know

Ayrshire and Arran NHS

Training

See our 1-day and 3-day training options, delivered with Seashell – developed with expert input under a DHSC grant

E-learning

Introduction to FASD Course – developed with support of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership

FASD is characterised by damage to the developing brain, leading to abnormalities in how the brain works.”

A significant proportion of children currently diagnosed with ADHD or autism may have undiagnosed FASD as an underlying cause of their learning problem.”

Educational support is essential during schooling years and requires adequately trained school staff.”

For intervention programmes to be effective, they need to be focused on an individual’s developmental level.”

Check out www.FASD.me for resources to use with young people with FASD to help them understand and own the diagnosis and to learn coping strategies. The Me and My FASD toolkit was created as part of National FASD’s partnership with Seashell, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. The above photo is from the interactive comic on the website that includes a special section about school that can be used to help students identify strategies that help at school.

Behaviour management

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Ware, Hertfordshire. SG12 9AL
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Helpline: 0208 458 5951

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