The term Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) describes the range of physical, emotional and developmental delays that may affect an individual if they were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy.
It is important to recognise that the effects of FASD vary in range and severity for each child
There are 9 brain functions that can potentially be affected by alcohol during pregnancy:
- Executive Functioning
- Sensory and motor
- Academic skills
- Brain structure
- Living and social skills
- Focus and attention
- Cognition
- Communication
- Memory
Each person with FASD will present with their own individual profile of strengths and difficulties. Children and young people with FASD often have difficulty with cause and effect, reasoning and adjusting to new or unfamiliar situations. This can result in behaviours that are misinterpreted as oppositional rather than the manifestation of confusion and being overwhelmed.
For each brain area, there are a number of strategies that can be helpful. Some of these may work with a particular child, some may not. Each child is unique so educators must be creative and persistent in finding their own successful strategies for each child. It is also important to remember that children and young people with FASD have many strengths. Successful strategies do not focus solely on the child’s challenges, they also take their strengths into consideration as well. By developing learning environments that respond to the unique challenges of children with FASD, school staff can provide an important link in the chain of support needed to assist these children to succeed in school and the community. By working together with colleagues and parents you can create an intellectual, physical, social and emotional environment which will foster the pupil’s development in skills, knowledge, communication, self-esteem and life-long learning.
