Create structure in a flexible environment
A well-organised and highly structured classroom minimises the impact of cognitive demands to process and interpret new information.
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Walk in your student’s shoes
Walk in your student’s shoes
Take a walk around the classroom. Use all your senses to consider how the classroom might look, sound, and feel to your student.
Consider:
- routines and ways of working
- how you will make timing of assignments and assessment tasks manageable
- the practical challenges for students, such as timetabling, and managing their time
- how the student will find and access resources
- how the classroom is laid out
- where to create a quiet place for students to work
- where your student can go if they need to calm down, and what your student needs for a calming space.
Create structure in a flexible space
Create structure in a flexible space
Set up your environment to minimise students’ cognitive load.
Providing support for students' specific needs enables them to work more independently.
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Minimise distractions
Minimise distractions
Minimise auditory and visual distractions to help diminish the confusion and frustration many students with FASD experience, and maximise their ability to focus on the task at hand.
Reduce visual distractions
- Strategically place the student’s seat away from distractions, such as doorways and windows.
- Clear the student’s desk of everything, except the lesson at hand.
- Put away (or out of view) teacher’s equipment and books competing for a student’s attention.
Reduce auditory distractions
- Seat student closest to where you present information.
- Seat student next to students who do not distract others.
- Provide nonverbal cues that are familiar to the student to help them stay focused and working quietly, for example: use hand signals, move close to student.
- Create quiet spots in your classroom.
Build routines
Build routines
Consistent routines reduce stress and anxiety for students.
Develop simple routines, which are used daily to support successful learning and transitions with the students.
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Agree guidelines for behaviour
Agree guidelines for behaviour
Develop a class treaty/norms/rules with the students.
- Agree on clear, concrete rules that are the same across all classes.
- Display the rules in the classrooms.
- Use picture cues.
- Review the rules with students regularly.
- Role-play classroom rules.
- Use consistent vocabulary when teaching and reinforcing rules across all classes.
- Be consistent when applying the rules.
- Apply agreed consequences immediately when a rule is broken.
Useful resources
Useful resources
Environment: For learners with FASD and other complex learning needs
A checklist for setting up a classroom environment that considers routines and structure, and reduces sensory overload.
Publisher: POPFASD
Download PDF
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Helpful classroom strategies years 9-13”:
Return to the guide “Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and learning”
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How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: FASD and learning
Understand:
Strategies for action:
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Identify needs and how to provide supportShow suggestions for Identify needs and how to provide support
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Support self-regulation and positive behaviourShow suggestions for Support self-regulation and positive behaviour
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Helpful classroom strategies years 1-8Show suggestions for Helpful classroom strategies years 1-8
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Helpful classroom strategies years 9-13Show suggestions for Helpful classroom strategies years 9-13
