Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

What is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)?

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a medical condition describing the mental and physical birth defects in children whose mothers drank when they were pregnant.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE) are terms that are also used to describe problems caused by alcohol in unborn babies. Physical defects of FAS can include small widely spaced eyes, flat mid-face, short, upturned nose, smooth, wide space between the nose and the upper lip, thin upper lip and underdeveloped jaw. The most serious characteristics of FAS are those associated with damage to the brain. These symptoms include intellectual impairment and learning and behaviour disorders.

Some babies are born with some but not all of the usual symptoms associated with FAS. These symptoms are sometimes called Fetal Alcohol Effects or FAE. A person with FAE may not have any physical symptoms, but learning and behaviour difficulties can be just as severe as they are with FAS. The term, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is now commonly used to describe the range of problems associated with both FAS and FAE. FASD is a medical condition that must be diagnosed by a doctor.

What causes FASD?

FASD is caused by the mother drinking alcohol while she is pregnant. Damage to the unborn baby caused by alcohol is permanent. There is no cure for FASD. There is no way to fix the brain damage.

Possible FASD symptoms related to learning:

The abilities of learners with FASD can vary greatly. Many people with FASD have graduated from high school with little additional support. Other people require a lot of extra support and adaptations to a curriculum.

The following symptoms are not "behaviour problems" but are a result of permanent unchanging damage to the brain and are not always within the person’s control.

Difficulty with memory:

A concept may be learned one day, the next day it is gone, only to reappear unexpectedly at some time in the future. The difficulties with memory may include the following:

• retaining and using information
• retrieving previously stored information
• using sequences of information
• following through on instructions from others

Short attention span, distractibility, hyperactivity:

• being easily overwhelmed by noise, commotion and stress
• difficulty adapting to changes in the physical or emotional environment, routines and transitions
• poor impulse control

Poor motor skills and/or coordination:

• difficulty holding a pencil or pen
• difficulty printing and/or writing neatly
• difficulty with tasks that require eye-hand coordination

Difficulty with language – listening, speaking, reading and writing:

• understanding what is meant, especially if different words are used which may mean the same thing. e.g., "add these numbers" vs. "what is the sum?"
• understanding how things are related by their category, function or physical similarities
• sequencing - doing things in the right order or following a "plot."
• knowing what is important to notice and pay attention to
• understanding whether things or words are the same or different
• getting started, organizing thoughts and details and putting them in writing
• understanding figurative language - expressions

Other Difficulties:

• difficulty understanding cause and effect relationships
• poor problem solving skills
• difficulty with abstract concepts (math, time, money)

What specific strategies can help learners with FASD?

Strategies for difficulty with memory:

• Concepts presented in a concrete fashion (i.e., with examples) will be easier to learn and remember than abstract concepts.
• Concepts are easier to learn and remember when they are presented in a familiar context or in a context in which the skill will be used.
• Concepts paired with a visual representation (i.e. pictures, charts, graphs) may be easier to learn and remember.
• Learning through art and music activities may use the learner’s strengths and is often an area where a learner with FASD will shine.
• The parts of memory that involve paying attention can be enhanced through memory games and teaching memory strategies.
• Use cuing (i.e., hinting) or prompting to help the learner recall details.
• When giving verbal instructions, write down the main points on an overhead or blackboard.
• Provide one instruction at a time until the learner can remember two instructions; provide two instructions at a time until the learner can remember three; and build up the amount from there.
• Provide opportunities for the learner to practice oral direction and/or instruction, i.e., in each classroom, write what is going to happen each day/in each lesson, on the board.
• When the learner appears to have learned a rote-skill, continue practicing and aim for "over-learning".

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