Innovative Educational Interventions with School-Aged Children Affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)

Abstract

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) has been estimated to affect as many as one in 100 children. Children with prenatal alcohol exposure may exhibit physical alterations and compromised cognitive functioning. The neurodevelopmental deficits associated with FASD range from global intellectual impairments to specific processing deficits, and learning disabilities that can hinder academic performance and adaptive functioning. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the impact of FASD on children's education, and to present a brief summary of the evidence-based programs and other interventions that may support better educational and behavioral outcomes for alcohol-affected children.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder resources for educators: A scoping review

“…The book chapter described how the primary characteristics of FASD typically present within the school setting. 19 The literature review summarised the common characteristics and associated difficulties related to each of nine functional domains used in the Canadian guidelines for FASD diagnosis. 21 Data from Millar et al 21 and Coles et al 19 are synthesised in Table 3.…”

“…To identify current and effective strategies to improve support of students with FASD in the school setting, data were extracted from evaluated resources included in this review 5,19,21,[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] and relevant peer-reviewed studies that evaluated included resources published between 2000 and 2021. 12,28,38…”

“…This review identified only two evaluated screening tools available for use by educators 20,22 and two current, peer-reviewed resources with information on FASD identification. 19,21 These tools are useful for screening neurobehavioural indicators prior to referral and diagnostic testing. However, the extent to which educators should be involved in screening children with suspected FASD is debated.…”