Special Education

• head circumference below the third percentile,
• developmental delay or intellectual disabilities, and/or
• learning disabilities, or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Other, less prevalent conditions may also be observed.

3. Characteristic facial features.

These include short eye slits, elongated mid-face, long and flattened nose and upper lip, thin upper lip and flattened facial bone structure. These facial features are most noticeable during early childhood. They are sometimes not evident in infancy and may change during adolescence. Even though the physical characteristics may be less evident in adulthood, the child has not “outgrown” FAS. Teachers should keep in mind that some children may have these characteristic facial features without other indicators of FAS and are therefore not likely to have the syndrome.

The term FAE has been used when there is a documented history of prenatal alcohol exposure and the presence of some, but not all, of the diagnostic criteria for FAS. FAE is not a milder form of FAS. For both FAS and FAE there is a continuum of effects on physical development and learning that depend on the amount of alcohol consumed, the timing of the drinking, and other metabolic and genetic factors. Other terminology for FAE, as noted to the left, will gradually come into popular usage. This resource guide uses the term FAS/E, refering to the familiar terms FAS and FAE.

In some cases the characteristics of FAS/E may be confused with other medical conditions. These include:

• prenatal exposure to the anti-convulsant drug Dilantin,
• fragile x syndrome,
• Cornelia deLange syndrome, or
• Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) caused by prenatal exposure to drugs which results in withdrawal at birth.

Any of these diagnoses can accompany other conditions that affect a child’s ability to learn. For example, children with FAS can also be diagnosed with autism, Tourette Syndrome, or other medical conditions.

The teaching strategies presented in this guide focus on the needs of children with FAS/E, but can be useful in meeting the needs of children who have been diagnosed with other medical conditions. They are based on the understanding that students with FAS/E respond favorably to environmental modification, input from the student whenever possible, and specific educational strategies coordinated to help learning take place in the home and at school. With these things in place, students with FAS/E have overcome many obstacles to master tasks formerly considered impossible.