Special Education

Students with FAS/E have fewer inner resources for coping with the normal stresses and pressures of everyday living. At school, they may be frustrated by being unable to do what the teacher expects. Students with FAS/E are often eager to learn. Teachers must adapt the learning environment in order to meet the students' needs and to prevent the students from feeling frustration because they can not meet the expectations of the teacher. They may be easily overwhelmed by too much noise, too much commotion and too much stress. The response to pressure can take a range of forms: crying, withdrawal, acting out, disruptiveness and refusals. Sometimes after a day at school, they release their frustration at home. Recognize that challenging behaviours can be interpreted as a form of frustration. A child may knock over his or her desk. The behaviour may be saying: “I do not know what to do. I do not know how to do it. The pressure is too great, I can not handle it!” That is the time to back off and look at what the student needs from you right now.

Often students with FAS/E have more difficulty than most children adapting to simple changes, such as changes in the physical environment (e. g., the location of desks), in the daily routine, or in the transitions of the day. They may be most comfortable with structure and routine and become anxious and upset in new situations — even ones most children find exciting or fun. They have trouble making choices. Their behaviour may become inflexible or perverse when under stress. They get stuck on an activity and when the teacher tries to move them on to something else, they resist or have an outburst. When a teacher tries to get them to hurry up, they often shut down and refuse to cooperate. The best approach is to anticipate problems. Give the student time. Introduce a dose of humour rather than end up in a power struggle.