Supporting Students with FASD

1
Supporting Students with FASD

• Accommodations

Date Location
2
Agenda

• Welcome back
• Reflections on learning
• Creating a good fit
• Strengths based approach
• Break
• Strategies
• Connections
• Reflection

3
Accommodations (Session 3)

• To increase an understanding that all learners
  have unique needs and strengths
• To demonstrate how to support a primary
  disability with appropriate accommodations

4
Making Connections!

• Think of a student you have worked with who may
  have had one of the primary disabilities
  discussed.
• What were some indicators?
• What worked to support that student?
• What did not work to support that student?
• What strengths did that student have?
• What interests did that student have?

5
Paradigm Shift

• Understanding FASD as a brain based disability
  requires that we shift our thinking about
  students behavior from wont to cant

For more information or for viewing additional
POPFASD Learning Modules, go to
www.fasdoutreach.ca
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Primary Disabilities

• Impulsivity
• Linking actions to outcomes
• Predicting outcomes
• Generalizing information
• Abstracting
• Staying still
• Paying attention

• Memory
• Processing pace
• Sequencing
• Over stimulation
• Sensory issues
• Perseveration
• Language
• Dysmaturity or uneven maturation

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Secondary Disabilities / Behaviours

• School problems
• Trouble with law
• Drug and alcohol issues
• Independent living challenges
• Mental health issues
• Parenting difficulties

• Frustration
• Anxiety
• Shutdown
• Anger
• Fatigue
• Isolation
• Poor self esteem
• Depression

(Streissguth, 1996)
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Video clip

• Finding Hope (Chapter 3)
• Knowledge Network - 2009
• http//findinghope.knowledge.ca/

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Accommodations - Good Fit

• Environment Instruction/
  Curriculum/
• Communication
  Resources

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Creating a Good Fit

• Know and understand the learner well
• Build on strengths
• Identify the poor fit between expectations and
  the suspected primary disabilities
• Provide accommodations

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Creating a good Fit

• Creating a good fit involves understanding
  the learner and providing appropriate
  accommodations.

For more information or for viewing additional
POPFASD Learning Modules, go to
www.fasdoutreach.ca
12
Accommodations - Good Fit

• Environment Instruction/
  Curriculum/
• Communication
  Resources

13
What works?

• Understanding the child
• The approach that we will share with you today.

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FASD Approach

• FASD physical, brain-based disability
• Know your learner well (relationship)
• Observe closely and try different strategies
• Set up the environment for learner success
• Plan and interact proactively
• Be visible
• Provide the necessary accommodations to support
  the suspected primary disabilities

15
EA Tips

• Be selective in choosing workspaces
• Develop visual signals with the student
• Watch for behavioural clues and intervene,
  redirect, or take break
• Observe closely in various situations (what
  works, what doesnt)

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EA Tips

• Keep close communication with teacher
• Have backup plans
• Tell, show, practice
• Encourage a class/school job
• Plan for, and celebrate, successes
• Ask and listen

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EA Tips

• Be aware of non-verbal communication
• Allow a preferred activity after task
• Share your valuable insights and observations at
  team meetings
• Provide the supervision that our kids need

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EA Tips

• Make the student feel like s/he belongs
• Spend time
• Help identify and then use strengths and
  interests
• Have fun and play games
• Find support groups

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Communication Strategies

• Keep it simple
• 2. Use positive phrasing
• 3. Avoid idioms
• 4. Be consistent
• 5. Use visual supports

1. Give directions one at a time
2. Give directions in order
3. Ask concrete questions
4. Ask the learner to show understanding (show me,
   not tell me)
5. Allow more time

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Keep it simple
Dont forget that, as usual, marks will be
credited in direct relation to completeness of
answers, legibility of writing and, of course,
accuracy!
Please remember 1. Complete answers 2. Neat
writing
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Keep it simple - drop all extra words
Attention Class, I think it is just about 5
minutes till the end of class and you should be
thinking about getting cleaned up and ready to go
soon.
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Keep it simple - drop all extra words
Class, put your books away now. (Susan, books
away now)
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Use positive phrasing
Dont Run
John,Walk
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Avoid Idioms
Dont let the cat out of the bag
Meow, Meow!!
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Be Consistentrepeat the same words
Have a seat Quit visiting You are off-task Get
back to work
Bob, keep working Keep working
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Use Visual Cues
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Use gestures
Stop
3 More
Listen
Shhhh!
Good job
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Give directions one at a time.
How do I straighten up my locker?
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Give directions one at a time.
First, take everything out of your locker.
I can do that!
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Use checklists
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Give directions in orderAvoid before/after
Before we play basketball, we have to do our math
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Give directions in orderAvoid before/after
First math, then basketball.
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Ask concrete questions
Where do you live?
Bob, tell me your address.
425 Leaf Street, Prince George
In a house.
34
Ask the student to show they understand.
Please show me how you open your lock.
Youve got it!
Images from the Uvic Humanities Computing and
Media Centre and Half-Baked Software
35
Allow More Time!
Did you hear the question?
Should I ask someone else?
I know, I know!
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Communication Strategies

• Keep it simple
• 2. Use positive phrasing
• 3. Avoid idioms
• 4. Be consistent
• 5. Use visual supports

1. Give directions one at a time
2. Give directions in order
3. Ask concrete questions
4. Ask the learner to show understanding (show me,
   not tell me)
5. Allow more time

37
Essential Strategies Summary

• Shift thinking and change approach
• Know your learner build a relationship
• through respect and understanding
• Use a strengths-based approach
• Use strategies for accommodations
• - environment.
• - instruction/communication.
• - curriculum/resources

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Making Connections!
Do all strategies work with all students?
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Additional Strategies

• The following slides show additional possible
  strategies. It is important to remember that not
  all strategies work with all students.

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Strategies Environments

• Visual supports
• Safe, quiet place
• Tennis balls on chair/legs
• Fidget items
• SUPER vision

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Strategies Environments

• Visual schedules
• Clutter free
• Preferential seating
• Organize and label shelves, bins, etc

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Strategies Environments

• Designated display areas
• Control lighting
• Colour code items
• Use calming music or white noise
• Allow headphones

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Strategies Communication

• Be consistent - repeat using same words
• Get to the point - drop all extra words
• (e.g. Book, pencil, to the carpet)
• Keep it simple - think about a telegram
• Say specifically what you want done
• (e.g.. instead of No running say Walking,
  please)

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Strategies Communication

• Give directions one step at a time
• Start with the individuals name
• Use names - avoid pronouns
• Concrete - no idioms
• Positive phrasing
• Allow more time

45
Strategies Communication

• Show what you want
• Repeat, repeat, repeat
• Talk about the here and now
• Use now
• Give directions in order
• (avoid before/after)

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Strategies Communication

• Use visual cues
• gestures, pictures,
• actions, etc
• Silence is golden
• Speak slowly and
• pause frequently
• Ask simple, direct questions - less is best
• Ask yes/no questions or give two choices

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Strategy Structure

• Structure is to a brain with FASD as insulin is
  to a body with diabetes
• (Jan Lutke)
• Sameness routines, schedules, consistency and
  repetition
• (Jan Lutke)

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Strategy Routines

• Spend time teaching and practicing routines
• Be consistent with your routines
• Plan transitions
• Give lots of warning of change
• Teach, model, practice, review - never assume
• Prop, rule and role (Ory, 2008)
• Treat every day as a new day

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Strategies Expectations

• Keep rules simple, concrete
• State rules positively
• Post rules
• Clear, consistent plan
• Provide immediate positive feedback
• Teach and model desired behaviours
• Continuous frustration indicates a need for
  changes

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Strategies Instruction

• Simple, clear, concrete with visuals
• One step at a time
• Repetition, practice, review, and re-teach
• Keep instruction short and interesting highlight
  key points
• Think younger in planning activities
• Watch for behavioural clues

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Strategies Instruction

• Chunk assignments into smaller pieces
• Do task analysis
• Utilize learner strengths
• Use hands-on, experiential activities
• Provide supervision
• Schedule short breaks
• Be aware of non-verbal communication

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Strategies Instruction

• Prepare learners for activity changes
• Provide structure but allow for flexibility
• Give frequent feedback
• Ensure that learner feels comfortable asking for
  help
• Teach skills where they will be used

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Strategies Curricular/Resources

• Choose resources at the individuals level - plan
  success
• Simple language and limited print (lots of
  visuals)
• Instructor-made resources may work best

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Strategies Curricular/Resources

• Adapt materials to encourage success (level,
  quantity, time, output, support)
• Allow learner to show learning in various ways
• Provide a variety of ways to practice new
  learning (i.e.. computer, games, puzzles)