Date
24 March 2024

Support positive behaviour

The most effective management strategy is to try to prevent the behaviour from escalating out of control in the first place.

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Identify the student’s goal

Identify the student’s goal

“If I am unhappy, unfriendly or difficult this will be because I am confused, frustrated, tired or angry. Please take the time to understand me.”

– Student with FASD

All behaviour is communication. It is goal-oriented, functional, and serves a purpose.

Determine:

  • what the student’s goal is
  • what may be obstructing them
  • how to capitalise on their strengths to help them reach their objective.

Maintain predictable environments

Maintain predictable environments

Students with FASD are more comfortable in predictable environments.

Collaborate with whānau and other teachers to plan coherent approaches.

Role-play to support under­standing

Role-play to support under­standing

One student regularly had difficulty in the cafeteria. He was suspended on numerous occasions for breaking the cafeteria rules.

When he was asked to tell someone the rules, he could state them.

When he was asked to demonstrate he understood them, he became teary-eyed. He did not know where to sit or what to do with his tray.

The counselor helped him to role-play different cafeteria scenarios and showed him where to sit and where to get his tray. Then she took photos of him doing things the correct way in the cafeteria so he would have them as a reference.

Videos

Videos

Website

Nathan Ory – Dealing with stealing

In this video Nathan Ory talks about strategies and approaches that can be used when students steal.

Publisher: British Columbia Ministry of Education

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Website

Nathan Ory – Why typical behavioural approaches may not work

In this video Nathan Ory talks about why typical behavioural approaches may not work and provides ideas on how to make your interventions more effective.

Publisher: British Columbia Ministry of Education

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Website

8 Magic keys of success

Each video in this series covers one aspect to support students with FASD experience successful learning.

Publisher: WRaP Schools

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Useful resources

Useful resources

File

Professionals without parachutes: Brain not blame tip sheet

This tips sheet helps teachers to understand the behaviours of a student with FASD and to move away from deficit thinking.

Publisher: Professionals without Parachutes

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Website

Managing challenging and/or extreme behaviour

Information, videos, resources, and webinars aimed at educators to support understanding and provide practical strategies for managing challenging behaviour.

Publisher: NOFASD, Australia

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Website

Chapter 6: The FASD student and behavioural issues

Read time: 5 min

Part of an online guide designed for educators who work with K-8 elementary and middle school level students. This chapter describes common behaviours due to the brain damage that occurred before birth and explains why traditional behaviour modification techniques are not successful with these students. A series of effective strategies are provided within the chapter for poor judgement, impulse control, confusion under pressure, and stubborn or oppositional behaviour.

Publisher: Duke University

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Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “​Support self-regulation and positive behaviour”:

Return to the guide “Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and learning”

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