Strategies for Addressing the Executive Function Impairments of Students Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol and Other Drugs

Abstract

Students who have been exposed prenatally to alcohol or other drugs are susceptible to a range of developmental problems— from mild to severe. In this article, the authors review critical learning and behavioral problems of children exposed prenatally to alcohol and other drugs, with a specific focus on executive function deficits. They discuss various risk factors associated with prenatal drug exposure so that educators may better understand the nature of the problem and choose more effective classroom interventions that address the executive function deficits of these students. Many of the suggested interventions are also appropriate for developing executive functioning in students with attention-deficit disorders, traumatic brain injury, autism, and other disorders associated with deficits in executive functions.

The Effect of Prenatal Drug Exposure and Caregiving Context on Children’s Performance on a Task of Sustained Visual Attention

“…Children in the care of substance-using mothers may benefit from early intervention services that facilitate cognitive development, particularly those that focus on parent-child interactions to enhance children’s developing self-regulatory skills. 54 Our results suggest that children raised by parents with a history of persistent drug use are at risk for specific neurocognitive deficits and would benefit from targeted intervention services.…”

“…Interventions that focus on children’s self-regulation of mood, motivation, and arousal are critical in providing a foundation for later academic success. 54 …”

Intervention for individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Treatment approaches and case management

“…An emphasis on certain teaching strategies may help facilitate learning in individuals with FASDs [Watson and Westby, 2003;Green, 2007;Kalberg and Buckley, 2007;Laugeson et al, 2007]. Examples of such teaching strategies include (1) implementing consistent and predictable routines, such as scheduling activities or tasks in the same order every day; (2) providing numerous opportunities for behavioral rehearsal and practice, since children with FASDs require much more practice to acquire a skill than nonexposed children; (3) making contingencies explicit (e.g., if you do X, then Y will happen), which may help compensate for the difficulties these children have understanding cause and effect relationships and anticipating consequences of behavior; (4) breaking down verbal instructions into small steps to address receptive language problems and executive functioning impairments and aid in comprehension and performance of multistep tasks; and (5) using visual cues and aids to accompany verbal instructions.…”

Observation of Classroom Social Communication: Do Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Spend Their Time Differently Than Their Typically Developing Peers?

“…In regard to the children's off-task behaviors, such as irrelevant and passive/disengaged behaviors, investigating specific classroom factors that may influence performance would be a valuable exercise. As a component of intervention, classroom management, as suggested by Watson and Westby (2003), seems important. Without a doubt, the nature of the neuropsychological deficits that characterize children prenatally exposed to alcohol will create ongoing challenges to engagement in the classroom and deserve careful analysis.…”