SETH HOGETERP

REBA LALONDE
RAHUL SEEGOOLAM
MEGAN SPOONER

LEARNING DISABILITY
FETAL ALCOHOL
SPECTRUM DISORDER
 TABLE OF
CONTENTS
WHAT IS FASD

THE 9 BRAIN DOMAINS OF FASD

EIGHT MAGIC KEYS

TIPS FOR CLASSROOM TEACHERS

TIPS TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS

RESOURCES
 WHAT IS FASD
Fetal alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a broad term to describe impacts on the brain
and the body caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol.
Alcohol is a teratogen, meaning it can cross the placental barrier, and cause
harmful affects to a fetus.
It can affect neuron growth, confuse neuron direction, or kill neurons altogether
during brain development.
Depending on timing and frequency of exposure, the long term implications can
vary greatly, so there is no universal “best way” to work with a student with an
FASD
Neurons that have to travel further during their development are more likely to
be impacted by alcohol, and these neurons belong mostly to our brain’s higher
order functioning like thinking, planning, and interpreting.

A Note about Stigma

Brain damage due to alcohol can occur as early as the 8th day of pregnancy. In
many cases, mothers are not aware that they are pregnant until the 6th-8th week
of pregnancy. With this in mind, we need to work towards removing stigma tied
to FASD, and stop blaming mothers. The stigma makes it more difficult for children
with FASD to get a diagnosis, and this means they are less likely to get support.
Let's change how we talk about FASD to support kids!
 9 BRAIN DOMAINS

Living and
Brain Structure
Social Skills

Focus and
Academic Skills
Attention

Sensory and
Cognition
Motor

Executive
Communication
Functioning

Memory
 9 BRAIN DOMAINS
To receive a diagnosis of FASD, a child must have markers in three of the 9 brain
domains. This means that there are at least 84 different unique combinations, and
realistically, no two cases of FASD are the same.
Executive Functioning
• Might have challenges with planning, organizing,
and problem solving.
• May be impulsive.
• Difficulty managing and regulating emotions.
• Challenges with transitions and change to
routines.
• Often repeats mistakes and has difficulty
understanding consequences.
• Difficulty with abstract ideas/concepts.
• Difficulty managing time.
Sensory and Motor
• Maybe unable to correctly interpret the world
around them.
• May under or over react to sensory input, such as
light, noise, touch, smell and/or taste and
movement.
Academic Skills
• May have difficulty in school particularly with
mathematics, reading, time, and money.
• May have difficulty with comprehension and
application of abstract concepts.
• May have difficulty with age appropriate tasks.
• Are likely to learn better with visual or ‘hands on’
approach.
Brain Structure
• Brain and head circumference may appear to be
small (less than 10% of cases)
Living & Social Skills
• May not understand personal boundaries.
•May have difficulty reading social cues.
• May be socially vulnerable and easily manipulated.
• May have difficulty seeing things from another’s
point of view.
• Socially and emotionally immature... may behave
younger than actual age.
Focus & Attention
• Can be easily distracted, over-stimulated, or impulsive.
• May have difficulty paying attention and be over active.
• ‘Can’t sit still’.
Cognition (Reasoning & Thinking)
• Difficulty with attention, learning, memory, planning
and organization.
• Difficulty with understanding complex ideas.
• Wide range of IQ (may even have "normal" IQ)
Communication
• May speak well but not always understand the meaning of
their words or phrases (parroting).
• Delayed in reaching language milestones.
• Difficulty with lengthy conversations.
• Difficulty following instructions.
• May be able to repeat instructions but not be able to follow
them.
Memory
• Difficulty with long and short term memory –
may seem forgetful.
• Difficulty recalling sequences or complex instructions.
• Relatively better visual memory.
• Easily forget steps in normal daily routine.
• Appear to lie but are really ‘filling in the blanks’.
 KEY IDEAS TO SUPPORT
CHILDREN WITH FASD
The following graphic was developed by Deb Evenson and Jan Lutke to support parents,
caregivers, and teachers working with children with FASD, laying out some key ideas to keep in
mind.
TIPS FOR CLASSROOM
TEACHERS
Most children with FASD benefit from visual and hands-on learning.
Ensure to provide opportunities for them to use their strengths to
accomplish any classwork or assignments. Giving the student plenty of
choice in how they present their learning will help them succeed.

Children with FASD need lots of activity and movement to manage their
day. It is best to incorporate regular body-breaks throughout the day,
physical activity when possible and kinesthetic learning opportunities.

Children with FASD thrive when they have established routines.

Children with FASD struggle with change and transitions, creating
classroom routines and maintaining them is key to their success. Visual
schedules, breaking down tasks into simple chunks and regular routines
are excellent ways to accomplish this.

Children with FASD are only able to handle 10-20 minutes of work at a
time. To help them be successful in school work, it is best to limit
distractions (screens and noise) and provide water and a snack or
something to chew on.

Approach every day with flexibility and empathy. Just like all children
with exceptionalities, a child with FASD will have good days and bad
days, it is important to be adaptable when they need you to be.
 TIPS FOR
PARENTS/GUARDIANS
Children with FADH will benefit when parents/guardiancies focus on their strengths rather than their
problems. Understanding strengths will allow parents to change their environment so they can build on
these strengths. For instance, children with FADH need a lot of physical activity. Incorporating their
strengths into their activity can get them more active which is important to managing their day. Focusing
on strengths will help children with FADH be more successful in schools, build positive relationships and
decrease other secondary challenges.

Children with FADH need structure and routines. Change can be very confusing for children with FADH
because they have trouble adjusting. Therefore, having a structured schedule at home will help them
succeed in their everyday activities. For example, meal times should be at the same time every day.
Have a set routine where every day after school they have a snack, then go for a walk, followed by their
homework and then watch some TV before eating supper

Children with FADH have a hard time with transitions or shifting from one activity to another. Some
strategies that parents can implement to help children with FADH transition between their daily routines
are to first provide them with verbal warnings of when the activity is about to change, use a visual timer
(ex. Hourglass) instead of a traditional clock, count down when a transition is about to happen, using
pictures to show them where they need to go next and use a visual schedule to help them see what is
going to happen next.

Children with FADH usually have a hard time learning. They tend to be hands-on and visual learners.
They often struggle when they are provided with auditory cues/instructions when they are learning. A
few strategies that parents can use to help their children with learning are step-by-step instructions,
using visual cues such as pictures, using simple language, telling them what they need to do rather than
what they do not need to do, using repetition as they need more practice to master a skill, focus on
practical math/science and slow down the pace to give them time to process everything.

Children with FADH have issues with sleeping. FADH can cause permanent changes to their brain
structure which can affect their sleep. Sleep disturbance can lead to several behavioural, emotional and
cognitive difficulties. Strategies that parents can implement to help children with FADH with their sleep
are making sure that their bedroom is dark, cutting tags off bedding and pyjamas, having a quiet
environment for sleeping, make sure that their bedroom is for sleeping only and nothing else.
Furthermore, it is important to have a sleep routine by having a set bed and wake-up time. Parents
should be cautious about any activities that increase stress and any screen time or food/beverages with
caffeine before bedtime as they can all be over-stimulated and affect their child’s sleep.
 RESOURCES
Supporting Students with FASD by Alberta Regional Consortium
Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium. (2023). Engaging All Learners. https://www.engagingalllearners.ca/il/supporting-students-with-
fasd/
A three module video series designed for educators, explaining FASD and how best to support students with
FASD

CanFASD Research Network:

CanFASD (2023). Canada FASD Research Network. https://canfasd.ca/
A website full of resources for parents and caregivers on FASD, including resources on how to explain an FASD
diagnosis to your child

Making sense of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

NHS Scottland. (2019). Making sense of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
An excellent resource document for parents and caregivers describing how to work with, support, and
understand children with FASD

What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know About FASD

Healthy Child Manitoba. (2017). What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know About FASD. Manitoba Health. www.manitoba.ca/healthychild
A resource document for parents and caregivers describing how to work with, support, and understand children
with FASD.