NHEG-Magazine-September-October

www.NewHeightsEducation.org
Because they present a neurological impairment in sensory processing of muscles and joints, on some occasions
these children may break toys and bump into objects and classmates in class. This behavior can be interpreted by
some people (who do not know the characteristics of the syndrome) as awkward, rude or purposeful. But what actually
happens is that due to the presence of impaired motor skills, students with FAS have a decrease in muscle
control capacity, which makes difficult in grasp and hold activities, such as picking up a pencil to write or draw.
Golden Tips:
• It is important to have a space in the classroom where the student can settle (or rest) whenever he or she feels
irritated, harassed or stressed. The space needs to be warm and welcoming, like one made of a linen tent, a
camping tent, a playhouse or just a more quiet space in the classroom, composed of beanbags, cushions or mats.
• Students with fetal alcohol syndrome are often visual and tactile (however can have children with FAS
under-sensitivity to the touch). Attach a visual schedule to the wall containing the routine of the day, as well as
visual timers, in order to prepare the student for the day.
• The manipulation of objects, such as modeling clay, key chains (made of rubber or plastic), stress balls and
sandpaper sheets, can assist both in sensory-motor capacities and in executive attention function, as it helps to
maintain focus and concentration during activity, causing the child to ignore other irrelevant stimuli.
• Decrease the number of visual stimuli so the child does not feel irritated or overactive with lots of visual information.
Give preference to natural lighting in the classroom by adjusting the level of clarity with the aid of
curtains in the windows.
• Shelves (of the size of the students) develop autonomy and organization, as they encourage the child to store
personal belongings (such as backpacks, shoes and coats) in the individual COMPARTMENTS.
Parents and teachers need to establish a partnership to better include the child with FAS at school. Parents must
provide to the school all the necessary information about the child’s characteristics and needs so that the teacher can
prepare a multi-sensorial environment rich in learning experiences for this student. Parent-teacher partnerships is
the key to an education reduced in stress and disruptive behaviors (because parents usually know the factors that
trigger impulsive behaviors in the child and therefore can inform the teacher on how to avoid them). The active participation
of the parents in the development of the child (through constructive ties and daily experiences) is of great
value to foster the growth and involvement of the student in his own learning process.
In order to develop healthy interpersonal relationships in the classroom, it is important for the teacher to teach other
students values, such as empathy, kindness, solidarity, equality, love and respect, as well as the value of socializing
with children with disabilities. In addition, the joint work of the school with a team of specialized professionals,
such as special education teacher, speech therapist, occupational therapist, educational psychologist, pediatrician
and child neurologist, are of paramount importance for the overall development of a child with FAS.
Child cognitive development involves not only brain processes but also aggregates experiences of the child's learning.
These learnings are developed from the child's contact with the environment through play and body activities,
activities to stimulate social interaction and communication, games of rules or symbolic games, etc. Through these
practices, it is possible to improve the capacities and potentialities of the child. Proposing pedagogical activities
taking into account the sensory, motor, emotional and cognitive aspects of the child provides a meaningful learning
environment in a welcoming and healthy atmosphere, rich in stimuli and possibilities of development.
Sources:
https://www.nofas.org/factsheets/
http://www.cisa.org.br/artigo/4763/sindrome-alcoolica-fetal.php
https://www.nofas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Facts-prevention.pdf
http://www.nofasd.org.au/resources/what-is-fasd-1
http://www.rffada.org/images/stories/documents/What_educators_need_to_know_about_FASD.pdf