Defining the PopulationsFASDPrevalence of FASDCharacteristics of FASDPrevalence of AutismCharacteristics of AutismLearning Characteristics ComparisonGeneral intellectual functioningPsychosocial behaviorCommon Learning StrengthsStructured Learning EnvironmentsSummary and conclusionsReferencesA Comparison of Learning Characteristics 1RUNNING HEAD: A Comparison of Learning CharacteristicsA Comparison of Learning Characteristics of Students with FASD and Students with Autism Darrell PetersonEPSY 8993Fall Semester 2007Leslie Craig-Unkefer, Ed. D.January 13, 2019A Comparison of Learning Characteristics 2Defining the Populations.................................................................................................3FASD...........................................................................................................................3Prevalence of FASD.....................................................................................................3Characteristics of FASD..............................................................................................4Prevalence of Autism...................................................................................................5Characteristics of Autism.............................................................................................5Learning Characteristics Comparison..............................................................................6General intellectual functioning..................................................................................6Psychosocial behavior.................................................................................................6Common Learning Strengths...........................................................................................7Structured Learning Environments..............................................................................7Summary and conclusions...............................................................................................8References........................................................................................................................9A Comparison of Learning Characteristics 3 The purpose of this paper is to explore the similarities and differences between students with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and students with Autism. Because of the small amount of educational research involving students with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, this comparison will identify areas of commonality between FASD and Autism so that the broader Autism educational research base may be used as a foundation for further educational research into living and learning with FASD.Defining the Populations FASDChildren prenatally exposed to alcohol are born with a variety of conditions, such as FetalAlcohol Syndrome (FAS), Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND), and Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD). All of these conditions fall underthe umbrella term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), which encompasses the range of effects that can occur in individuals whose mothers consumed alcohol while pregnant. These effects may include physical, mental, and behavior abnormalities, as well as learning disabilities. Children with FASD often struggle in school, often failing to qualify for special education services. Even when children with FASD do qualify for special educations services, special educators are often ill-equipped to deal with their special needs. This study will add to the modest literature base of effective educational interventions for children with FASD.Prevalence of FASDAccording to Streissguth (1997), children born with a condition covered by the umbrella term FASD could be as high as 3 in 1000 births. This is more than double that of Down Syndrome, and five times that of spina bifida, two of the most commonly recognized birth defects. This translates to nearly 12,000 children born each year with FASD. Even moreA Comparison of Learning Characteristics 4alarming, in some Native American communities, the rate of FAS was 1 in 8 births (A. Streissguth, 1997). According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (1987),the most common known cause of mental retardation is FAS.Characteristics of FASDWhen discussing the effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol, Smith (1981) stated that the effects of alcohol on brain development and function should be the most concerning. These effects are of primary interest to educators and those conducting educational research aimed at helping and understanding children affected by FASD. One way of measuring the effects of alcohol on brain development is through a standard IQ score, because below average IQ scores are common in the FASD population. IQ scores alone, however, don’t convey the full extent of the organic brain damage or the maladaptive behaviors present in children with FASD. Many children with FASD have IQ scores well within the normal range, yet the still exhibit cognitive deficits and poor adaptive behaviors that do not register on an IQ test (A. Streissguth, 1997). These deficits can be classified into primary and secondary disabilities. According to Streissguth(1997), primary disabilities reflect damage to the central nervous system, while secondary disabilities are those that the individual is not born with, but that arise as the result of living with a hidden disability such as FASD. These secondary disabilities can be reduced through increased awareness of the primary disabilities and more effective interventions.Primary disabilities vary in both prevalence and severity, and more and more detailed impairments are being discovered all the time. The findings to date include: impaired auditory memory for verbal recall, especially for the manipulation of verbal material, impaired spatial memory, decreased verbal and nonverbal fluency, impairments of cognitive estimation, and impairments in executive function (A. Streissguth, 1997). Finally, while FASD is the leadingA Comparison of Learning Characteristics 5known cause of mental retardation, it is not the norm for the population of children with FASD. Streissguth, Barr, Kogan, and Bookstein (1996) found that only 25% of people with FAS and lessthan 10% of children with FAE would score low enough on an IQ test (<70) to qualify for specialeducation services as mentally retarded. Prevalence of AutismExact numbers for the prevalence of Autism Spectrum