U of M EPSY 8993 - Learning Characteristics of Children with FASD

Unformatted text preview:

Defining the PopulationPrevalence of FASDCharacteristics of FASDCognitive deficits of children with FASDGeneral intellectual functioningVisual-spatial reasoningExecutive FunctionAttentionLearning and MemoryPsychosocial behaviorHow cognitive deficits translate into learning problems for children with FASDStrengths of children with FASDSummary and conclusionsReferencesFASD Learning Characteristics 1RUNNING HEAD: Learning Characteristics of Children with FASDLearning Characteristics of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum DisordersDarrell PetersonEPSY 8993Spring Semester 2007Leslie Craig-Unkefer, Ed. D.January 14, 2019FASD Learning Characteristics 2Defining the Population...................................................................................................3Prevalence of FASD.....................................................................................................3Characteristics of FASD..............................................................................................3Cognitive deficits of children with FASD.......................................................................6General intellectual functioning..................................................................................6Visual-spatial reasoning...............................................................................................7Executive Function......................................................................................................7Attention......................................................................................................................7Learning and Memory.................................................................................................8Psychosocial behavior.................................................................................................8Motor functioning........................................................................................................9How cognitive deficits translate into learning problems for children with FASD......9Cognitive strengths of children with FASD.....................................................................9How cognitive strengths can be leveraged for children with FASD............................9Complicating symptoms that impact learning and school performance..........................9Summary and conclusions...............................................................................................9References......................................................................................................................10FASD Learning Characteristics 3Defining the Population Children 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 more alarming, 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 atFASD Learning Characteristics 4helping 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 leading known 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. Table 1, from Streissguth (1997), indicates the types andprevalence of primary disabilities.FASD Learning Characteristics 5Table 1 - Maladaptive behaviors and symptoms in people with FAS/FAE


View Full Document

U of M EPSY 8993 - Learning Characteristics of Children with FASD

Documents in this Course
Load more
Download Learning Characteristics of Children with FASD
Our administrator received your request to download this document. We will send you the file to your email shortly.
Loading Unlocking...
Login

Join to view Learning Characteristics of Children with FASD and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or
We will never post anything without your permission.
Don't have an account?
Sign Up

Join to view Learning Characteristics of Children with FASD 2 2 and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or

By creating an account you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use

Already a member?