Special Education

Students with FAS/E may display a variety of atypical responses to unfamiliar or frustrating situations. Increased anxiety may result in withdrawal, outbursts or other acting out behaviours that may be harmful to the student or others in the group. A young child with FAS/E may have severe temper tantrums and find it hard to adjust to change. Many adolescents with FAS/E are prone to depression, poor judgment and impulsivity. They are often described as innocent, immature and easily vicitimized.

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

• stealing, lying and defiance,
• difficulty predicting and/or understanding the consequences of behaviour,
• easily manipulated and led by others,
• difficulty making and keeping friends,
• overly friendly and affectionate, easily approached by strangers, and/or
• perseverative or “stubborn.”

Physical Functioning

Basic physiological responses may be abnormal in students with FAS/E. This may present in one or more of the following ways:

• A high threshold for pain which can result in the student not being aware of a serious injury or infection.
• No perception of hunger or satiation.
• Difficulty perceiving extreme temperatures.
• Difficulty with visual/spatial perception and balance.

Some children with FAS/E excel in individual sports that require gross motor coordination such as swimming, skiing and roller-blading. Others have significant delays in gross and fine motor skill development which can affect all areas of functioning. In mild cases, delays in motor abilities can influence the acquisition of skills such as tying shoelaces and printing neatly. In more severe cases, children with FAS/E may have had problems learning to chew and swallow food.

Students with FAS/E have a higher than average incidence of a number of other medical concerns. These include:

• difficulties with vision,
• difficulties with hearing,