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FASD and Education An Ontario Perspective

FASD and Education An Ontario Perspective. Authored by Mary K. Cunningham B.Ed. P.H.Ec . Acknowledgements. Mary Cunningham is a parent of a young adult with ARND. She has been learning about FASD from her daughter and her students since 1998.

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FASD and Education An Ontario Perspective

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  1. FASD and Education An Ontario Perspective Authored by Mary K. Cunningham B.Ed. P.H.Ec. Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  2. Acknowledgements • Mary Cunningham is a parent of a young adult with ARND. She has been learning about FASD from her daughter and her students since 1998. • Diane Malbin, (Oregon) Donna Debolt (Lethbridge), Chris Margetson (Guelph), Bonnie Buxton (FASworld Toronto), Cheryl Duquette (Ottawa), Laura Spero(London) • Alberta Government – Education ministry Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  3. Presenter Information • Parenting consultant and FASD advocate • Retired from 30 years in education system as a teacher, department head and consultant • Has two young adult children, one with ARND • Is married to another retired educator • Co-author of Parenting in Canada, 2003 • Co-founder of ON Coalition for Parenting Ed. • Lives in Kitchener, ON cunninghammary@rogers.com Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  4. FASD and Education An Ontario Perspective Part I-Educational Success for Students Affected by FASD Part II-Advocating Successfully within the School System Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  5. FASD and Education An Ontario Perspective Part I Educational Success for Students with FASD Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  6. Educational Success for Students with FASD 1- Introduction 2- FASD 101 for Educators 3- What FASD Looks Like at School 4- Brain Damage = Behaviour 5- How Secondary Effects Develop 6- Success for Students with FASD Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  7. FASD is an umbrella term for: • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) (obvious to all) • Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS) • Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) • ARBD, Static Encephalopathy Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  8. FASD and Education?Have I seen FASD yet? Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  9. 50% of pregnancies are unplanned 17% to 25% of women reported drinking alcohol during their last pregnancy 7% to 9% reported drinking alcohol throughout their last pregnancy Canadian National Survey Alcohol Use In Pregnancy Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  10. What about Dad? • A father’s drinking does not cause FASD…BUT: • Drinking and drug use can damage sperm causing subtle neurological damage such as impulsivity,learning disabilities, attentional problems & (lower birth weight) • When a father drinks he influences the mother’s drinking Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  11. Co-occurring Mental Illnesses • ADD/ADHD is often diagnosed • (Reactive) Attachment Disorder (R-AD) • Bi-Polar Disorder/Depression • Conduct Disorder (CD) • Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) • Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) • (Kathryn Page – 2002- Ctr. For Families, Children & Courts) Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  12. FASD in Education Facts Health Canada notes that 1% of live births are FASD-affected. (This is probably low). This means at least 300,000 Canadians are living with FASD FASD is one of the most common birth defects in North America FASD is the most common cause of developmental delay in North America IF YOU ARE AN EDUCATOR YOU HAVE DEALT WITH FASD Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  13. Most Students with FASD are Invisible Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  14. The Usual FASD Story • JK/SK – unduly quiet or aggressive and unruly (ADD/ADHD-like) • May slip through cracks at first – Level 2 – “C” evaluations • By 4-6 serious learning problems are obvious: reading, math, science • May be a “Safe School” nightmare with frequent suspensions Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  15. The Usual FASD Story • By grade 7 or 8 is dropped by achieving friends who can see disabilities • Picks up with peers with similar problems • School skipping, no homework, school failure • Petty crime, drugs, alcohol use, early sexual activities • Early school dropout or expulsion – first sign of marginalized adulthood Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  16. If you are an educator • You have dealt with students who have FASD • You will deal with students who have FASD for the rest of your career • So, what’s to be done? Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  17. Reframe The Behaviour IT IS NOT THAT THEY WON’T, THEY CAN’T Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  18. Brain Damage = Behaviour Change(Donna Malbin with permission) Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  19. FASD = Information Processing Disabilities FASD is an extremely serious and debilitating information processing learning disability A student could have any or all of these deficits: 1.    Input- recording of information from the senses 2. Integration- process of interpreting the input 3. Memory- storage of information for later use 4. Output- producing answers, responses, completion of work Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  20. Two Common Reactions Processing Difficulties 1- Total shut down and turn off May be confused with ADD 2- Hyperactive acting out May be confused with ADHD ADHD is frequently misdiagnosed! Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  21. Brain Damage = Behaviour • Our brain is like a computer “CPU” and it controls our behaviour • When the “CPU” gets the wrong data or processes data incorrectly dysfunctional behaviour results • A FASD-affected brain will not recover so those around it must adapt and serve as “external” brains Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  22. What might an information processing disorder feel like? • Imagine: loud music is blaring, the lights are buzzing and you are wearing a scratchy wool sweater over your bare skin, (Dorothy Shwab, Manitoba) • This is how it feels for a student with FASD • Exactly what would you actually learn under these circumstances? • How would you act under these conditions? Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  23. Primary Effects a Teacher Might See(A-L-A-R-M) Adaptation- trouble stopping or starting activities Language - talk a “great line”, but don’t “get it” when people try to talk to them Attention – ADD/ADHD frequently misdiagnosed Reasoning – don’t understand abstract ideas, eg. math Memory- ‘sketchy’-on and off, has big gaps, don’t learn from experience…same mistakes over and over IT IS NOT THAT THEY WON’T; THEY CAN’T Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  24. Brain Damage Causes Dysmaturity • A confounding but classic sign of FASD • Student appears to be functioning at different, inconsistent ages, for example: Chronologically 18 Socially 12 Emotionally 8 Cognitively 9 • Research is starting to show that individuals with FASD tend to get as mature as they are going to, or get “caught up” by age 35, too late for the school system, but still a ray of hope for parents Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  25. Dysmaturity Concept – Students with FASD Frequently Show Many Different Ages SKILLS Expressiveness (Talking) Understanding Ideas Money & Time Concepts Emotional Maturity Physical Maturity Reading ability Social Skills Living (Life) Skills How Old He/She MAY act in eachskill area Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008 Adapted from research findings of Streissguth, Clarren et al by D. Malbin 94

  26. Will Students Outgrow FASD?NO They may have life-long problems with: - Learning - Remembering - Thinking things through - Getting along with others Brain damage is permanent! Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  27. The Worst Case Scenario:Secondary Effects Develop Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  28. Students With FASD Often: • Are bullied and stigmatized • Have trouble finding friends • Do not achieve at school • Disappoint people around them • Are disappointed in themselves • Develop very poor self esteem Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  29. Then FASD creates Secondary Behaviours (Malbin, 2004) • Primary FASD behaviours are those that most clearly reflect underlying damage to brain structure and function (slides 29 ff) • Secondary FASD behaviours are defensive and develop over time in response to a non-supportive environment, the individual suffers from a chronic inability to “fit in” Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  30. Inappropriate humour Class clown Isolated, Few friends Pseudo-sophisticated- trying to pass as “OK” Irritability,Resistance, Fatigue, Arguments Anxious,Fearful, Overwhelmed Poor Self Esteem Unrealistic Goals Bullied, Teased Fighting, Outbursts Running away, Avoidance Sexually ‘inappropriate’ to point of being dangerous Depressed, Suicidal Co-occurring Diagnoses School Failure, Expulsion – grade 9/10 Secondary BehavioursAn Educator Might See at School Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  31. Secondary Effects of FASD(1996-Washington State) Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  32. Review • Alcohol in utero can cause both physical and neurological damage to the fetus • Neurological (brain) damage is the root of most FASD problems faced by schools • Brain damage causes very serious learning disabilities which lead to primary behaviours • If left untreated primary behaviours turn into serious secondary behaviours and a marginalized adulthood (see Streissguth, 1996) Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  33. The Best Case Scenario:Success for Students with FASD Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  34. Change the Paradigm • If they could they would -”It is not that students with FASD won’t, they can’t” • Understanding this will change your attitude and they will notice your support Behaviour = Brain Damage • Diabetics need insulin, paraplegics need wheel chairs, students with FASD have permanent brain damage and need you to deal with this irreversible fact • “Learn to love the student you got, not the one you wanted” Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  35. There IS a silver lining… ALL STUDENTS WITH FASD HAVE INNATE STRENGTHS AND COMPETENCIES Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  36. Recognize ability not disability! • ALL people with FASD excel in some or all of the following areas: ART MUSIC POETRY MECHANICS “HANDS-ON” SKILLS WORKING WITH CHILDREN & ANIMALS COMPUTERS & TECHNOLOGY COMPETITIVE SPORTS Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  37. Multiple Intelligences • Howard Gardner is the theorist behind “MI”, this is especially useful for students with FASD • Everybody has some of each of the 9 intelligence groups. Find out what you are good at and work at getting better. Don’t beat yourself up about your weaknesses. • Multiple Intelligence development is especially important for students with FASD. Good for self esteem development too • “Google” Howard Gardner + Multiple Intelligences Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  38. Multiple Intelligences Verbal – Interpersonal– Visual Kinesthetic - Musical – Naturalistic Intrapersonal - Mathematical – Existential Every student has some of each. Discover and develop your best ones! Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  39. Hands on learners Kinesthetic, energetic Learn by doing and repeatedly shown Good long term visual memory Value fairness and can be rigidly moral, comforted by rules and orderliness Express themselves well verbally Good with animals, children, mechanics, computers, and the arts Friendly, affectionate, loving, loyal, gentle, determined, sensitive and compassionate Typical Strengths and Abilities Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  40. Teaching Students with FASD • FASD strategies will not hurt students so when in doubt or waiting for diagnosis go ahead and use these strategies • The ideas in this presentation are an introduction only and teachers should be aware that an endless repertoire can be developed. There is no magic formula. • All these Special Education strategies arejust good teaching. They work for almost any student with learning disabilities. Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  41. In General • Head off trouble, nip escalating stimulus overload before the child explodes • Provide constant supervision, preventing a crisis is easier than cleaning it up • These students need “external brains” • All the expectations in curriculum won’t be met, teach life skills and blend in academics • Teaching life skills that others learn by osmosis must be multimodal,repeated and compelling (ESSENTIAL) Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  42. Some Starter Strategies • Reduce stimulation, provide quiet places for them to de-stress as needed • Go slowly-”10 s children in a 1 s world” • Hands on learning, focus on strengths • Foster interdependence not independence • Repeat, re-teach, repeat, re-teach, repeat… • Carpe diem- Enjoy today, do a day at a time Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  43. More Starter Strategies • Do not ask “why” – they don’t know • If things go wrong try differently, not harder • Make transitions as easy as possible • Use visuals as often as possible • Break everything into steps, do one at a time • Remember that students with impairments teach life lessons to everybody else Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  44. External Brains(S. Clarren) • Help the child reframe their world • Provide crutches for an invisible disability • Provide pro-active and intervention strategies • Assist the child to process information and to respond more appropriately If you are physically disabled you need a wheelchair. If you are blind you need a seeing eye dog. If you are a child with FASD you need an external brain. Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  45. “Teaching Students with FASDBuilding Strengths, Creating Hope” • The following website is INVALUABLE: www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/specialneeds/fasd.asp • Western Canada is “light years” ahead of us in all aspects of FASD understanding, prevention and intervention (education) • Do not try to re-invent the wheel, go to the above Alberta websitefor the newest and best resource on successful education for students with FASD • You may print for free – 165 pages in length Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  46. “Teaching Students with FASDBuilding Strengths, Creating Hope” • Introduction • Chapter 1: What is FASD? • Chapter 2: Key Program Planning Concepts • Chapter 3: Positive Classroom Climate • Chapter 4: Students’ Needs • Appendices A, B & C (excellent resources) • Bibliography and Index Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  47. Ideally…….. We will substantially reduce the incidence of FASD in the future……. How? By spreading the Zero 4 Nine message Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  48. Zero 4 Nine Messages • No known amount of alcohol can be consumed safely during pregnancy. • There is no known safe time to drink alcohol in a pregnancy • A pregnant woman has a choice, her baby does not. • A pregnant woman may need help from her spouse and peers not to drink. • Avoid alcohol when planning a pregnancy or breast feeding* Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  49. FASD Prevention in Education • The place to get the “0 for 9” message out so it will stick is to studentsbefore can drink legally • OCMPE – The Ontario Coalition for Mandatory Parenting Education wants all high school students take and pass a parenting course before graduation; FASD messaging will be embedded. • Fewer babies in the stream! Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

  50. For More Information • Please feel free to contact the presenter at cunninghammary@rogers.com or 519-893-7393 (Kitchener, Ontario) • The internet is a valuable source of information, search under “fetal alcohol spectrum disorder” www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/ specialneeds/fasd.asp (excellent resource) Cunningham www.faseout.ca 2008

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