Special Education

Many students with FAS/E have difficulty learning science skills and processes. They may have problems with conducting experiments, using equipment, and problem solving with an emphasis on deduction and inference. However, science, particularly activity-based science, is an ideal area for including students with FAS/E. Science classes provide students with the benefits of concrete, real-world experiences, opportunities to work effectively in group situations, and opportunities for observation and experimentation.

Progressing through the science curriculum involves:

• developing a science vocabulary in a real-life context,
• knowledge of facts and scientific experimentation (the scientific method, scientific theory), and
• moving from theoretical understanding to generalized application to concrete, specific problem solving in a real-world context.

Vocabulary

Science has its own vocabulary. The words and their meaning need to be specifically taught as the student is unlikely to learn them incidentally.

Experimentation

Students with FAS/E may lack the well-developed fine motor skills necessary to independently manipulate microscopes. Such activities as slide preparations, staining, adjusting mirrors, focusing and orienting the image in the visual field may present great difficulties for some students. Some students may have difficulty understanding oral instructions/directions concerning what to look for, and may have some difficulty describing their observations.

As learning laboratory techniques and using laboratory equipment are primary objectives in science, students with FAS/E may need advanced practice with the equipment, specialized directions, and time to practice, perhaps with the help of a peer. Issues of safety in the laboratory, difficulty reading lab manuals, and special adaptations for laboratory equipment must be faced before the student begins to tackle the tasks of learning the science curriculum.

Enquiry

Compared to other students, students with FAS/E need more practice (over-learning) to learn basic tasks and continuous practice in order to make those tasks automatic. Try to build on understanding by reintroducing information in new contexts with new sub-issues. Use of concrete materials as examples of scientific ideas may not only heighten motivation but also facilitate concept formation. By secondary school, part of the science curriculum can be too abstract and complex for some students with FAS/E. An IEP that emphasizes practical/applied science at a very functional level is appropriate.

For students with FAS/E there needs to be a compelling reason to learn science; there needs to be an answer to a personal question “Why?” Developing awareness of the personal meaning science has for each student and tying this meaning to the larger context will increase motivation. On a personal level, students with FAS/E feel the frustration and stress of being different, but do not know or can not explain why. Through a carefully guided exploration of such topics as the human body and how it functions, and the human brain and how it functions, these students may be helped to understand their individual physical, behavioural and thinking differences. By giving the student with FAS/E a reason, you will alleviate the stress and frustration and will foster a better understanding of why they behave and think the way they do.