Supporting Students with FASD

AccommodationsDate:

Location:

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

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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

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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?

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Paradigm Shift

Understanding FASD as a brain based disability requires that we shift our thinking about students’ behavior from “won’t” to “can’t”

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

• 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

(Streissguth, 1996)7

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

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Accommodations - Good Fit

Environment Instruction/ Curriculum/

Communication Resources

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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

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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 doesn’t)

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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

1. Keep it simple

2. Use positive phrasing

3. Avoid idioms

4. Be consistent

5. Use visual supports

6. Give directions one at a time

7. Give directions in order

8. Ask concrete questions

9. Ask the learner to show understanding (“show me”, not “tell me”)

10.Allow more time

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Keep it simplePlease remember:1. Complete

answers2. Neat writing

Don’t forget that, as usual, marks will be

credited in direct relation to completeness of

answers, legibility of writing and, of course,

accuracy!

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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.21

Keep it simple - drop all extra words

Class, put your books away now.

(Susan, books away now)

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Use positive phrasing

Don’t RunDon’t Run John,WalkJohn,Walk

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Avoid Idioms

Don’t let the cat

out of the bag

Meow, Meow!!

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Be Consistent*repeat the same words*

Bob, keep workingKeep working

Have a seatQuit visiting

You are off-taskGet back to work

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Use Visual Cues

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Use gestures

Stop

Good job

3 More

Shhhh!

Listen

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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.

I can do that!

First, take everything out of your locker.

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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 Where do you live?you live?

Bob, tell me Bob, tell me your address.your address.

In a house. 425 Leaf Street, Prince George

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Ask the student to show they understand.

Please show me how you open

your lock.You’ve got it!

Images from the Uvic Humanities Computing and Media Centre and Half-Baked Software

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Allow More Time!

Did you hear the question?

Should I ask someone else?

I know, I know!

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Communication Strategies

1. Keep it simple

2. Use positive phrasing

3. Avoid idioms

4. Be consistent

5. Use visual supports

6. Give directions one at a time

7. Give directions in order

8. Ask concrete questions

9. Ask the learner to show understanding (“show me”, not “tell me”)

10.Allow more time

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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 individual’s name

• Use names - avoid pronouns

• Concrete - no idioms

• Positive phrasing

• Allow more time

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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 day48

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 individual’s 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)

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