Special Education

Teaching Students with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Characteristics of Students with FAS/E

Students with FAS/E are as different from each other as any group of children. They come from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Each child presents a complex individual portrait of competencies and delays. Students with FAS/E must be recognized as individuals rather than as members of a homogeneous group.

FAS/E can affect individuals in varying degrees, from mild to severe in the following areas:

Cognitive Functioning.

The intellectual abilities of students with FAS/E can vary greatly. Many students with FAS/E have graduated from high school with minimal extra support and adaptations. To date, a wide range of IQ has been documented: 29 to 120 for FAS and 42 to 142 for FAE.

Other conditions commonly observed in children with FAS/E include:

  • Learning Disabilities (LD),
  • Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD),
  • difficulty with sequencing,
  • difficulty with memory,
  • difficulty understanding cause/effect relationships, and/or
  • weak generalizing skills.
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