FASD Classroom Prevention Education > Strategies for School Administrators

• Acknowledge to staff that many of these recommended strategies, such as keeping a calm visually simple classroom, are contrary to what they are taught. Reinforce the importance of giving the strategies a try.
• Have staff in the hallways, cafeteria, playground and school bus loading areas to assist the child through transition times.
• If you have a naturally organized teacher on staff, ask him or her to provide suggestions to colleagues for organizing and simplifying the classroom to benefit the students.
• Ensure that parents and teacher don’t have to start from scratch each year-provide the parents and the new teacher with a summary of the child’s needs and “best approaches” that have been found most helpful. Make sure that this information is included in the child’s school records. Focus on strengths and what WILL WORK as opposed to deficits.
• Find or assign one adult in the school to be the child’s advocate (someone who will speak up for the child in a positive way and help him or her figure out how to resolve problems). The advocate can be any adult in the school from the principal to the custodian with whom the child has made a connection and who genuinely likes the child.

Additional Learning Resources

8 Magic Keys: Developing Successful Interventions for Students with FAS
Eight useful strategies to use when working with students with FAS.
http://www.fasdcenter.samhsa.gov/documents/EightMagicKeys.pdf

Do 2 Learn
This website offers an FASD Toolbox for teachers as well as several thousand pages of free picture cards, games, print material and resources for parents and teachers of children with special needs.
http://www.do2learn.com/

NOFAS
The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome K-12 FASD Education & Prevention Curriculum
http://www.nofas.org/about/K-12Curriculum.htm

Reach to Teach: Educating Elementary and Middle School Students with FASD
Reach to Teach is a valuable resource for parents and teachers to use in educating elementary and middle school children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). It provides a basic introduction to FASD, which results from prenatal alcohol exposure and can cause physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities, and provides tools to enhance communication between parents and teachers.
http://www.fasdcenter.samhsa.gov/document/Reach_To_Teach_Final_011107.pdf

Towards Inclusion: Tapping Hidden Strengths, Planning for Students who Are Alcohol-Affected
Manitoba Education, Training and Youth, 2001
http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/fas/