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FASD Teaching Frustrations

Know the frustrations and realities

Children with FASD may have some or all of these common classroom symptoms which may mean creative adaptations by the teacher, child and classmates.

  • Appear to have 'low motivation,' 'not paying attention,' or 'daydreaming' (distractibility). Neurologically based issues are frequently mistaken for lack of effort, laziness, defiance or low self-esteem.
  • Changes and transition disorient them (sequencing problems). Rearranging seating or decorations may increase anxiety and distress, increase loss of belongings and disorganization. These children are strongly visually / kinesthetically cued.
  • May master tasks one day, be unable to retrieve same skills a few days or hours later (sporadic mastery) "I know I know it, but I just can't do it!" This frustrates the student as they are unable to rely on their minds to recall what they learned when they need to (memory deficits).
  • Lights, noise, smells and textures may cause unusual reactions. May ask, "What was that?", make off-the-wall comments about little things, seem picky, avoid eye contact (gaze aversion).
  • Need more reteaching or seem to be starting from scratch (memory deficits). They tend to hide this not wanting to look different from other kids or be teased. Relax and teach it again.
  • Child may appear very mature one day and very childish the next. On days of extreme childish ness, see if your can redirect the child.

What you need to know

  • Incentives that work for most students may not work for student with FASD (grades, sticker charts). A child may try just as hard to get a D as an A depending on the day and how the brain is working at that moment. Grades may not matter (poor state regulation, over stimulation).
  • May have trouble changing activities. Resist redirection (disregulation, state rigidity), show irritability, stubbornness or repetitive speech or behavior (perserveration) as signs of distress.
  • Difficulty seeing patterns, trouble understanding cause and effect. Can make verbal contract about schoolwork without understanding actions that support it (information processing deficits). Note: The obvious is not necessarily obvious to them!
  • Require external prompts and cues longer than peers (memory deficits), despite efforts to be self-sufficient and show competence.
  • Keep directives simple. Use as few words as possible. Give instructions one at a time. May need some visual cues as prompts. Working memory may be able to process only three words at a time. Allow processing time.
  • May not know how to start a project and so may not appear interested or have no follow through. Will need support to begin (problems with differentiating, prioritizing information).
  • Child may get emotional when learning new things. This is not against the teaching or teacher. It is usually because learning something new is very difficult for the child with FASD.
  • Child’s eyes may not be able to track words while reading, may need to use finger to follow sentence, or use a ruler or index card to hold place.
  • Child may not be able to do two or more things at once – listen and write, look and write, look and listen.

Adapted from Our FAScinating Journey: Keys to Brain Potential Along the Path of Prenatal Brain Injury. (2002) By Jodee Kulp Sources used with permission.

FASD general teaching tips

  1. Observe, refocus, reframe.

    Misbehavior is often neurological misfire. Take a deep breath, think about what might be going on. Is it your student can’t or is it your student won’t? Ask your student how you can help her/him help herself/himself. You may be surprised at the answer.

  2. Give student only one direction at a time.

    Multiple directions are confusing to child with FASD. The student may forget what was said first, may not understand what was said or may be confused by a two-part or more direction.

    • Give clear directions, starting with one and two steps. Say ‘put your coats on’ instead of ‘get ready to go.’
    • User fewer words – walk, stop.
    • Have child repeat directions to see if child understands.

    “Pick up the paper and go the black board and write this sentence.”

    Imagine what it is like to process each word one at a time... Pick...(ok what did she mean by that)...up...(oh here I need to pick up something) the paper....(what should I do with the paper) …..huh?…..sentence. Oh “write a sentence on this paper!”

  3. Model and mentor correct behavior. Focus on teaching behaviors you want the student to grow, not the behaviors you don’t like.
  4. Reteach, reteach, reteach . . .

    Keep it simple....if they are not getting it break it down into even smaller pieces (task analysis) or teach something easier to build upon.

    To compensate for decreased memory:
    • Use repetition.
    • Be consistent.

    Note: It can take nine steps to go to the bathroom, seventeen steps to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and fourteen steps to write the small letter “o”.

  5. Teach backward chaining. Teach the child the last step of the process first so the child can always finish the task. For example: making a sandwich let the child put the bread on the top of the sandwich, the next time let child butter the top piece of bread and put the bread on the top of the sandwich.
  6. Teach replacement behavior.
    • Reframe
    • Thought-stopping, positive thinking
    • Deep breathing and relaxation
    • Fun, humor and laughter!
  7. Present information in child’s best modality.

    Child may learn best in visual, auditory or multi-sensory learning activities. Some children may not be able to use two modalities at a time. Consider teaching visual only, auditory only or multi-sensory alone.

  8. Use Motivators.

    Encouragement, positive attention, rewards and incentives for appropriate behavior and meeting learning challenges. Set a goal to be accomplished. Some incentives may work well if they are things the child ‘really’ desires (small toys, money, time with friends, roller rink passes, special dinners, and movies.)

  9. Modify your environment for the student’s success.

    Discipline yourself to be sensitive to set up your students for success. This may mean changing plans if the student is too tired, irritable, or nervous. Don’t try something new if the student is hungry or over stimulated. The environment is an absolute “key” to the child’s success. Prevent the meltdown from happening.

  10. Keep yourself healthy. Maintain the support of other teachers. Teaching children with FASD can be very frustrating.

  11. Become a team player with the family. The parents of a child with FASD will have ideas to help you help their child. Listen carefully to what they have to say. Find a way to keep in touch with the family on a regular basis.

Adapted from Our FAScinating Journey: Keys to Brain Potential Along the Path of Prenatal Brain Injury. (2002) By Jodee Kulp Sources used with permission.

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