Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

[c green]

Can anyone give me ideas about FAS and how to have it identified, or work with a kid who I suspect may have suffered damage from it? I'm not sure, I've just been wandering around talking to some people about this one student, and a couple of people have mentioned FAS. What I'm reading online seems to match, at least in terms of observable features and behaviors, but it's all really vague stuff.

Has anyone had experience with this?

 

[dramacentral]

I would focus on what learning and behavior needs the child has, as there are plenty of resources for teaching cognitively impaired students who may be impaired for a variety of reasons. I would refer to FAS information to get a very general idea of what sort of issues to expect but get an evaluation on the child and then go from the results of that.

Good luck!

 

[ClaireDeLune]

Fas

I had a couple of FAS students when I taught in northern Quebec. I also did some research on this exceptionality when I did Special Education. Here are some points from my report:

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is caused when women drink alcohol during pregnancy. Doctors are unsure how much alcohol is needed to cause the brain damage inherent to this syndrome, so abstinence is the best policy.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is the term used that covers all the physical and mental problems a child may have whose mother drank alcohol while pregnant.

A student with FAS is
Loving
Enthusiastic
A child

A student with FAS is
Brain damaged
Smaller than other children his/her own age
Slower mentally
A distraction

Characteristic facial features:
Short eye openings,
An elongated flattened mid-face,
A long distinct space between the nose and upper lip,
A thin upper lip. 1
1. Taken from Inclusion of Exceptional Learners in Canadian Schools by Nancy L. Hutchinson, page 126.

In the classroom, children with FAS
Can be a distraction,
Can get upset easily,
May not relate well to their peers,
Will have problems with memory, and
Will have trouble keeping up with class work.

Strategies for Teachers:
Place the child near the front of the room for the whole year to help him or her focus.
Allow the student to have short breaks when necessary.
Create borders around children with FAS/FASD such as armrests, footrests and beanbag chairs. This helps them feel more secure and calms them. 2
2. Excerpts taken from National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Teaching Students with FAS/FASD, located at http://www.nofas.org/educator/teaching.aspx.
Have them perform one task at a time.
Using visuals, concrete examples and hands-on learning makes school easier.
Encourage success and reward positive behavior with praise or incentives. Positive reinforcement should be immediate. 3
3. Excerpts taken from National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Teaching Students with FAS/FASD, located at http://www.nofas.org/educator/teaching.aspx. More strategies are also available from this organization’s web site.

The best way to know if this child has FAS is to have him/her evaluated. Oh, and of course, I know I don't have to remind teachers that if they want to use this information verbatim, they have to cite the source. ;-)

Hope this helps,

Bren.