How can I help my child with FASD?
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a syndrome that encompasses various physical, mental, behavioral, and cognitive manifestations caused by maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. These dysfunctions can vary in form and severity depending on the age of the affected individual. Its most severe form is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
To help a child with FASD, the first step is learning to interpret their problems and difficulties, understanding which symptoms are characteristic of the disorder. For example, when a child with FASD doesn't follow the rules, it's not because they're doing it on purpose, but because of their difficulty understanding and interpreting instructions. The same is true when they repeat mistakes: we might think they're defying us or refusing to do it, but it's likely due to their difficulty generalizing what they've learned or recognizing similarities.
Some strategies we can use to help you manage your behavior include:
- Use clear and simple language
- Give consistent instructions
- Repeat the instructions
- Generate routines and anticipation
- Supervise
Behavioral guidelines that work for people with FASD
By helping them express their needs and paying attention to their non-verbal communication, we can anticipate situations of anger and rage that, on occasion, can trigger more aggressive reactive behavior.
Using photographs and visual aids will help them reinforce what they need to do, acquire the habit more easily, and consolidate it better. Calm , predictable , and safe environments also help, not only because of their sensory hypersensitivity, but also during times like mealtimes or when doing schoolwork. To improve their academic performance, it's not only important for the family to maintain good communication with the school, but also to create a distraction-free workspace, adjusting study time to their attention span, generally around 20-30 minutes (a clock will help them internalize the concept of time).
It's important to help them learn to manage money and property , as these difficulties often persist into adulthood. They may struggle to understand the value of bills and coins, or spend money impulsively. They also have difficulty grasping the concept of ownership, which increases the risk of petty theft or, conversely, being overly generous with their belongings. The following can be helpful:
- Give him a weekly pay, instead of a monthly one.
- Help him plan his expenses, for example, by noting down the money he receives and what he has spent it on.
- Teach him/her to make certain purchases (for example, buying the same type of bread every day at the same bakery).
- If you are buying alone, give them the (almost) exact amount of money.
- Avoid leaving valuables in plain sight, such as your wallet.
- Label their belongings with their name and, if we see that they have something that is not theirs, tell them that it does not belong to them and that they must return it (help them correct the situation and apologize).
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