Got Academic or Behavior Problems: What’s FASD got

to do with it?

Cheryl A. Wissick, Ph.D. University of South Carolina

Presentation adapted from information fromDan Dubovsky, FASD Specialist, FASD Center CFE, SAMHSA

Roger Zoorob, M.D., Meharry Medical College& Support from

South Carolina Collaborative FASD

Resources

FASD Center: FASDsoutheast.org Center for Excellence in FASD:

FASDcenter.samsha.orgSimulation:

http://www.come-over.to/FAS/SimTest.htm

Scfasd.weebly.com

Resources for Technology

Wikispaces

Behaviorsolutions

Webtoolboxes

Objectives

What do you know? Pre evaluationWhat do you want to know?Establish a goal for today

FASD: overview and misconceptionsAcademic SolutionsBehavioral Solutions

FASD: Fast Facts

FASD – 100% preventable, 0% curable

If you are pregnant, don’t drink.If you drink, don’t get pregnant.Exposure to alcohol can affect

the brain development at any time during pregnancy.

FASD leading preventable cause of ID in Western World

FASD

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is not a diagnostic category, but rather an umbrella term describing the effects that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy.

FASD is what a person has not what a person is.

Misconception #1

You know a child has been affected by alcohol by the way he/she looks.

Facial effects decrease as children ageFull facial effects are only required for a

diagnosis if one cannot substantiate that the mother drank during pregnancy.

FASD is much broader than just FASFAS has dysmorphic facial features,

growth deficit and CNS abnormality

Misconception #2Students with a FASD all have severe

intellectual disabilities

Students with a FASD can have a range of abilities from severe intellectual disabilities to learning disabilities (IQ range 20-110)

Students with a FASD can be labeled as having ADHD, ODD, Personality disorder, Learning Disability, Depression but FASD is the umbrella

Leading cause of ID but only 25% have ID

Misconception #3FASD is not as prevalent as Autism

More children are affected by alcohol than the number of students identified as having autism spectrum disorders

FASD is not as publicized due to stigmaGood data are not collected on the

incidence of FASD – only birth records of mothers “known” to drink are recorded.

Misconception #4

Alcohol does not cause as much damage as cocaine or heroin.

Alcohol has long range effects on behavior and brain functioning.

FASD is a lifelong disorder.

Misconception #5

If there is no cure, then why bother with identification.

Early identification helps provide structure and a stable environment.

Early identification can assist with strategies for instruction

Misconception #6

Only women who are alcoholics give birth to babies with a FASD.

We cannot predict how much alcohol exposure will lead to a FASD.

What constitutes one drink is much smaller than what we usually consider.

FASD is more prevalent in middle to upper class situations than lower class.

Misconception #7

If I use evidence based practices the student will respond, otherwise the student is not trying.

Students do not respond to typical language-based approaches.

We have to shift thinking to what is wrong with the curriculum and not what what is wrong with the student.

So how do we know or when to consider a FASD?Students who do not respond to

Research & Evidence based strategies

Students do not respond to typical rewards and consequences

Students who appear to be unmotivated and unresponsive

Why? Brain disorder creates gaps

Source:

Chart of age level functioning

Consider FASD as the umbrella

Use Strengths Based Approach

What do they do well?What do they like to do?What are their best qualities?What are your funniest experiences

with them?Identify strengths in family,

teachers, community, schoolAlways focus on the individual first

“Typical” strengths

FriendlyLikeableVerbalHelpfulCaringHard Worker

DeterminedHave points of

insightGood with

younger children or elderly

UDL* Model

Paradigm shift: Move from viewing the individual as failing to viewing the program as not providing what the individuals need. (Dubovsky)

Identify Barriers to learning and then list possible solutions to those barriers.

Identify specific barriers in your classroom

Link technology tools to assist students

* Universal Design for Learning

Barrier to learningVerbal expressive ability is much more advanced than verbal receptive skills or ability to produce written products.

Students can talk the talk but not walk the walk. Do not assume that what they say is indicative of

what they knowAllow them to provide verbal explanation and

interpretation of what something means or have them demonstrate

Barrier to learning

Can’t process several directions at once

Provide one direction at a time.Student with ODD still won’t comply

but a child with FASD will complete task.

Create visual task analysis charts -Interactive Excel chart

Provide a checklist

Barrier to learningCannot keep track of multiple plans, each with several goals and a number of steps per goals

Students take part in IEP but they do not understand all the aspects, provide positive feedback, provide checklist.

Students cannot be responsible to follow their own behavior plan

Work on one goal at a time.

Barrier to learning

Can’t remember what they were supposed to do when (whether its an hour, day or week after being told)

Working and short term memory ideas

Reduce Cognitive LoadUse of texting to remind young

adults.Set alarms or reminders

Barrier to learningCannot understand abstract concepts

Teach underlying skills Provide manipulativesUse concrete examplesRole play to act out conceptsProvide Examples & NOT-examples of

concepts

Barrier to learningCannot filter what they are thinking

Support points of insightFoster their creative ideas, Model journaling without censorship or

gradingThey don’t mean to be rude or

intrusive, just say what they think. Model good ways to speak your mind

Barrier to learning

Say they know what they need to do but they cannot show they can do it

Have them act out what to do Have them complete an example Provide guided practice

Barrier to learning

Literal thinkingBe careful of specific directions, they

will do what they are told.Do not use sarcasm, joking, similes,

metaphors, proverbs, idiomatic expressions.

Do a task analysis of a skill, do not assume that the students will fill in a step

Explain & consider misinterpretations of words

Barrier to learning

Difficulty with number concepts: time, money, measurement

Provide direct instruction for time & money

Provide schedules for month, mark off each day.

Provide support for shopping with a peer to help with money

Set alarms or timer

Barrier to Behavior Management

Try to “go along with the crowd” so that they have friends.

Model their peers, so provide positive ones

Provide Social skills training Work on StrengthsIdentify positive role models and

foster those relationships as they won’t thrive on their own

Do better in 1-to-1 situation

Barrier to Behavior Management

Does not learn by experiencing consequences of their behaviorShort term consequences –no more than

1 dayDo not use natural consequencesUSE positive reinforcement -

immediatelyUse repeated role playingDo not take away what they like to do as

a consequence for their behavior.

Act oppositional or angryBrain might be overloadedTry using fewer directions or only

oneFind out if student knows what to

doFind out if student understands the

directions and can do the academic task

Provide a chill-out space when they start to get frustrated.

Barrier to Behavior Management

Keep breaking the rulesRather be bad, instead of be stupid.Make sure rules are simple, in a

positive formHave students explain what the rule

means and not just repeat the ruleAct out the rules or see if they can

provide a Not-Example

Barrier to Behavior Management

Barrier to Behavior Management

Problems with lying.

Students do not have a good sense of a timeline, so they fill in the gaps

Discover the “purpose” of the lying, a behavior analysis

Verify the person’s story from credible sources, not always peers.

Not always a connect between what they feel to how they act so they might “look” like lying.

Barrier to Behavior

Problems with Adaptive Behavior

Direct instruction for daily living skillsIncrease support for older students by

providing relevance of academic skills to daily living

Understand that supporting typical organization skills is not enabling

Barrier to Behavior Management

Difficulty making & maintaining friends.Provide positive mentorsFoster relationships through strengths &

interestsSocial skill training so that others do not

see them as weird, strange, being inappropriate

Find something that student likes to do and let them do that regardless of their behavior

Be careful about their attitudes about death (people who die get lots of attention, death be at peace)

People I can hang around with are in my circle

People who are on the fence.

People who are on the other side of the fence, who are not good friends.

Overall StrategiesSimplify the individual’s

environmentUse of a lot of repetition, more

than what we think based on their intellect & verbal behavior.

Provide one direction or rule at a time.

De-stress situations as it creates cortisol in their brain.

Do not use ZERO Tolerance policies- add in the IEP considerations

Technology Tools: Organization

Start with tools EARLY so by middle school they are automatic and not an add on

Livescribe PenTodo lists:Jing: video and screenshotsExcel interactive chartVisual models

Take home informationModify approaches to meet needs

based on brain damageSimplify the environment and add

structure.Listen when they tell you that they

cannot do something but they are trying as they learn differently

They do get frustrated: like trying to put together something from IKEA daily

Resource Reminders

Wikispaces for Technology toolsSCFASD Collaborative Weebly

Prevention, Intervention & Videos

Consider joining the Collaborative

Contact speakers

Do2Learn

Resources to teach students