Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder face many day to day challenges in both school and in the home. Children with FASD are often diagnosed with having attention deficit disorders, social difficulties, and language impairments. Children have difficulty interpreting social information, including social cues. Their delays in school will be the most challenging. The main job of family members is to be supportive and part of a team member among educators and professionals. Families need to be educated on FASD, specifically the effects and strategies to help the child’s learning delays as well as strategies to cope with their responsibility for their child. It is the SLP’s job, as well as other educators to give support to family members and create open communication with each other.
Families of children with FASD face hard challenges. They may become stressed, frustrated, burned out, and feeling like nothing is working. Having a child with a developmental disability can be life changing. This is why it’s essential for families to be part of support groups where they can communicate ideas and share events with people who are in similar situations. Specifically with FASD, children may be out of control, have sudden mood changes, and may not be able to express themselves. These are only a few behaviors that could potentially happen to children with FASD. There are hundreds of difficulties and delays that could persist with children living with FASD. The main concern for children with FASD is lack of communication. Professionals and educators need to teach parents and family members how to effectively communicate with their child. If the child is unable to communicate, then the child will be miserable and this can negatively impact the entire family. There are websites online that family members can go to for additional resources. There are tips online, written from parents with children of FASD, in terms of establishing rules, advice on toilet training, strategies, how to minimize screaming, and family commitment.
When working with families of children with FASD, you may encounter feelings of guilt and depression. One of the possible causes of FASD is consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. It is very possible that when communicating with the parents, they may blame themselves for the condition of their child. Both educators and professionals need to know how to deal with parents who are emotional and blameful for their child’s disorder. This is when we may need to refer families to a psychologist or a counseling service.
Overall, the most important advice professionals need to stress with families, is the accomplishments and strengths the child has. Parents need to understand that their child has every capability to learn and function in the world. Educators also need to stress that without the help of the family; the child may not improve or succeed as successfully. The family members are the child’s best advocates.