An educational planning tool (LEIC) for learners with FASD

An Educational Planning
Tool (LEIC) for Learners
with FASD
September 29, 2010
Whitehorse, Y.T.
Kathi Hughes and
Stacey Wakabayashi

Purpose
• To explain a planning tool, LEIC (Learner,
Environment, Instruction, Curriculum), for
learners with complex needs
• To share our research project that combined
the planning tool and teacher mentoring
• To share resources

Agenda
• Introductions / FASD Overview 10:30-10:50
• LEIC Planning Tool 10:50-11:15
• LEIC case study 11:15-11:30
• Research 11:30-11:45
• Questions / Resources 11:45-12:00

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
FASD describes a
spectrum of disorders
caused by prenatal
exposure to alcohol.

FASD: Diagnostic categories
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

adapted from: http://www.cerebralpalsychildren.com/CPFetal.html

Shift in Thinking
• View FASD as a physical disability
• IS problem to HAS problem
• Won’t to Can’t
• Non-compliance to non-competence

LEIC
(adapted from Dr. Carl Anserello’s “ICEL”)
• L earner (strengths, needs, primary disabilities,
secondary behaviours, expectations of setting/brain)
*Poor fit?
• E nvironment (set up of classroom, sensory issues)
• I nstruction / Communication (teaching and
communicating strategies/accommodations)
• C urriculum / Resources
(adaptations/strategies/accommodations, etc)

Where is this learner at?
What are his/her strengths?
Sensory
seeking?
Avoiding?
Learning style?
Interests?
Other pertinent info?

Tony LEIC Wheel

Every Brain is Different

Primary Disability
A functional deficit
that is the result of
permanent brain
injury.

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”

Poor Fit?
Expectations in the
Environment
Requirements of
your brain
Possible Primary
Disabilities
- give a quick
response
- process quickly
- slow processing
- provide a
related,
descriptive
sentence
- remember,
utilize prior
information,
formulate
- memory
difficulties

“Secondary Disabilities” /
Behaviours
• The feelings / behaviours that develop
over time when the primary disabilities
are not supported (Streissguth, 1996)but….might
be other manifestations of the primary
brain alterations (Clarren, 2009)

Secondary
Disabilities / Behaviours
• Frustration
• Anxiety
• Shutdown
• Anger
• Fatigue
• Isolation
• Poor self esteem
• Depression
• School problems
• Trouble with law
• Drug and alcohol issues
• Independent living
challenges
• Mental health issues
• Parenting difficulties

What are we
expecting of this
leaner?
VS
What does this
student have
difficulties with?
What are we seeing in
the classroom?

Accommodations
- creating a “good fit”
• Strategies and/or
adaptations that address
the brain disability and
reduce the likelihood of
secondary disabilities
• Accommodations based
on the unique profile of
each learner

Accommodations - Good Fit
Environment Instruction Curriculum

Case Study-group work
• Listen to description of learner
• Use LEIC sheet to create accommodations
to support 1 or 2 of the primary disabilities
• Utilize student’s strengths, interests, and
learning style
• Use Guiding Questions for help

IEPs
LEIC Accommodations

Victoria Foundation
Research Project
• UNBC/SD57/UBC/POPFASD/VF
• 6 primary teachers/ 8 students
• 2 day training
• Classroom visits - weekly
• Team planning meeting using LEIC
• Support to teachers implementing
accommodations

Value of the Intervention to Teachers
“Every time I learned new things that I
can incorporate. Even just raising the
level of understanding, how can I make
this better and how can I help this kid.”

Timing of the Intervention
“This way you’re constantly improving
throughout the year because there’s the
next meeting and the next meeting and
something else is being brought forward
and plenty of time to share with the
other people that are there.”

Impact on Teaching Practice
“It made me change the way I was
looking at that child and their behaviour.
It just shed a totally different light.”

Summary
• Use LEIC Planning Tool to guide
solution finding for individual learners
• Involve all team members in the
planning meetings
• Encourage a strengths-based approach
• Support the classroom teachers by
assisting with the implementation of
accommodations

Final Thoughts
• Every brain is different so…
“Try differently rather than
harder” (Malbin)
• “Every day is a new day” (Anon)

Thank you
POPFASD Office
250-564-6574
www.fasdoutreach.ca