‘Teachers need the type of information that gives them a sound, solid appreciation of how fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is going to impact on the effectiveness of the child as a learner.’
Professor Barry Carpenter
Tag: Complex Needs
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Resources to support Teachers and Teaching Assistants working with children and young people with FASD.
I still find a lot of teachers struggling to find direct practical ideas on how to work with children with FASD in classrooms and schools.
The following are full of evidence based strategies the would fulfil the requirements of the new Code of Practice for SEND to develop personalised Learning Passports. -
Learning from each other in the field of Early Childhood Intervention.
Each country finds itself at a different phase of development when it comes to Early Childhood Intervention. It is important that the ECI community learns from each other, and supports one another.
The Early Intervention Institute in St Petersburg, Russia, is keen to develop its links in the international ECI Community. Following on from the excellent ISEI Conference they hosted in 2013, they have produced a newsletter, containing articles that can be read in Russian or English. This includes a piece I have written on the education of children born prematurely.The newsletter can be found here.
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Interpreting Engagement ; pathways for children with Complex Needs
The Engagement Profile and Scale, which was a major outcome of the Complex Learning Difficulties and Disabilities Research Project, continues to be used creatively by practitioners in a variety of settings. The powerpoint below is an illustration from Sally Jones, a teacher of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders in South Australia.
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A Review of “Educating children and young people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders”
A Review of “Educating children and young people with Fetal Alcohol SpectrumDisorders”
Carolyn Blackburn, Barry Carpenter and Jo Egerton
This book draws on a great deal of research including the information provided via the
educational research project (FAS-eD Project) and the findings from the Complex Learning Difficulties and Disabilities Project – both of which the authors were involved in. It begins with a description of Fetal/foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD); its history, diagnosis, causes and prevalence.
Chapter 3 aims to increase awareness of how FASD may impact on learning. This begins by identifying strengths and challenges that the different cognitive patterning may present to learning success. These may include health
related challenges such as poor sleeping and eating patterns; learning difficulties such as receptive and
expressive language; difficulties with organisation and attention plus specific problems in maths.
Behavioural difficulties such as hyperactivity, anxiety; social difficulties relating to interaction and
understanding boundaries and finally emotional difficulties relating to awareness of their difficulties
and self-esteem are all possible challenges.
Chapter 4 describes in some detail the strategies that can form the basis of a teaching and learning
framework for pupils with FASD and includes case studies to support and illustrate points made.
Chapter 5 looks at the complexity of issues relating to FASD that includes the profile of a 18 year old
with the condition that identifies the differing levels of competence/maturity in areas that include
money and time concepts (8 years old level), reading ability (16 level ) etc.
Chapter 6 moves onto the family and the impact having a child with FASD can have on them. This
is sensitively written and considers issues relating to parental guilt and anxiety.
The final chapter acknowledges that in terms of developing pedagogy to optimise support for pupils
with FASD, there remains quite a way to go.
A very well researched book that is an easy read.
This book would be of value to all staff in schools seeking answers to providing teaching that better
meets the needs of pupils with FASD.
£19:95
Routledge
http://www.routledge.com -
New Complex Needs article from the Australian Journal ” Leadership in Focus”.
A new Complex Needs article from the Australian Journal ” Leadership in Focus” is linked below:
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Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Interdisciplinary Perspectives. (Eds) Barry Carpenter, Carolyn Blackburn and Jo Egerton. Published by Routledge: London, 2014.
Reviewed by Liam Curran Independent Social Worker/Certified FASD EducatorIt is without question that this book is presented at a most interesting time of British social policy, as the country considers the sensitive and ethical challenge of criminalising mothers who consume alcohol heavily during pregnancy. This book quickly informs us that Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) are cited to be one of the leading causes of childhood disability in the 21st century. We also learn in the chapters that follow, that children and young people with FASD are currently the largest group of children within our fostering and adoptive services. The authors demonstrate eloquently how adoptive parents must become their own experts in dealing with FASD, as there is a “paucity of professional knowledge” (pg65)This lack of professional knowledge is stated repeatedly by many contributors throughout this book, with both the fostering and adoptive parents struggling in the caregiver role due to untrained and unskilled professionals. We read what happens when society fails to see these children, resulting in a high percentage of adolescents suffering school failure, addiction, homelessness and criminal justice issues. It is great to see Jo Egerton’s advice on transitions to adulthood – reminding us that FASD is a disability across the lifespan. The focus on the adult side of living with FASD is still in its infancy in many research communities.This book provides a wealth of contemporary insights into a rapidly ascending public health issue of main stream public importance in the 21st century. The human and social cost burden of FASD permeates all aspects of our society today. The book is unequivocal in its call to public health agencies to initiate robust programmes of prevention throughout all facets of society and community.This book is highly recommended to social policy personnel, university educators or allied health professionals and frontline professionals in children’s services. This book can and will greatly enhance society’s knowledge and understanding of this devastating but preventable disability. In doing so, it is hoped that we may see these children and adults who are living with FASD within our social services provision and respond appropriately. -
Pupil Voice in Review Meetings
Pupil Voice in Review Meetings is a really important element. In this clip, taken from the Complex Needs training materials, ( http://www.complexneeds.org.uk), Sophia attends and contributes to her review meeting.
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New Report on the Impact of Early Support
In these times of cutbacks in Special Needs services, we need to remember the value of Early Intervention for families of very young children with SEN. The Early Support programme is something that we can rightly be proud of in this Country , and has been widely praised by Early Childhood Interventionists and Academics internationally.
This timely report by Dr Ana Teresa Brito reminds of the value of this programme for families.
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Alcohol harm – Calling all Secondary Teachers…
In your PSHE lessons , when teaching about Alcohol Awareness could you please think about going beyond ‘ personal responsibility’, and ” know your own limits”? Too many young . sexually active young people are unaware of the harm they can cause an unborn child . They may not even know they are pregnant during those first 12 weeks when all of the cell migration and foetus formation is taking place . Obviously this is an issue particularly for girls , but increasingly recent studies are showing that young men who consistently binge drink may cause a reduction in their capacity to father a healthy baby.Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders amongst children continue to rise in the UK, and are phenomena that is not only perplexing the Education system , but our Society as a whole. We cannot control what our young people do , but we can encourage them to think of the lifelong implications for their unborn child. Would any of them really want to create a child with lifelong disabilities just for the sake of a binge drinking session? Many are not aware that this could be a consequence , and so are not even considering the issue and making a positive choice.An excellent resource on ‘Fetal Alcohol Harm” has been produced by NHS Scotland. It is a designed as training materials for staff, but much of the material could be used as a stimulus for discussions with students in school.If you want a young person with FASD to tell you what it is really like to live with this condition , I suggest you look up Morgan Fawcett on youtube.
Barry Carpenter Education 