Support wellbeing and minimise distress
Create an environment that supports ākonga success and wellbeing. Understand and minimise stressors, and develop strategies to help students manage difficult times.
On this page:
On this page:
Current page section: Support wellbeing and minimise distress
Go to top of current page: Support wellbeing and minimise distress
Go to top of current page: Support wellbeing and minimise distress
Go to top of current page: Support wellbeing and minimise distress
Harness and value strengths
Harness and value strengths
A strengths-based approach avoids defining ākonga by their difficulties or impairments. This video shows how nurturing strengths, and providing the right supports, can lead to success for students with FASD.
Closed Captions
Recognise student distress
Recognise student distress
Distress is an expression of an unmet need or want. It occurs when the level of stress exceeds ākonga ability to cope and recover without support.
Build networks of support
Build networks of support
Due to the impacts on the brain, ākonga with FASD may need support to maintain their safety and wellbeing, especially in unstructured times such as break and lunch periods.
Ideas for providing appropriate supports might include:
- Check in with students regularly.
- Prepare a routine for break times.
- Make sure the student has access to safe supervised areas, such as the library, during unstructured time.
- Appoint peer buddies and role models who can support the student in the playground.
- Ensure that all duty teachers are aware of the student’s needs and how to best support them.
- Ensure students know how to get help if they need it.
- Have a ‘silent mentor’. This could be a teacher who informally checks in two or three times a week during break times.
- Where possible or necessary, have a senior student or adult walk to and from school with them.
- Ensure that people, such as relievers, aides, bus drivers and sports coaches, know how to support them.
Recognise and respond to distress
Recognise and respond to distress
Manage difficult times
Manage difficult times
There will be times when ākonga feel overwhelmed. Guide ākonga through these challenging situations, while being calm and confident.
Notice the signs that ākonga are becoming anxious, for example tapping, rocking and fidgeting
- Remind ākonga of any self-management and relaxation strategies they know.
- Remove unnecessary demands and/or redirect the student to another activity.
- Connect with ākonga using verbal and non-verbal techniques.
Slow down and communicate calmly and simply
- Maintain a low, calm tone of voice.
- Communicate simple, concise messages and limit the amount of words used.
- Use supportive phrases such as “I’m here to help. When you are ready, we can...”.
- Actively listen, for example nod and repeat key phrases.
- Validate student emotions “I can see you are feeling frustrated.”
Be mindful of your body language
- Approach ākonga from the side, rather than front on. This is less confronting.
- Maintain a calm presence and provide reassurance.
- Keep an appropriate distance, close enough to let ākonga know you’re there, but making sure they don’t feel trapped.
- Use appropriate eye contact. Direct eye contact can be challenging and intimidating.
Create a safe space and get support
- Create space and use silence and non-action as an opportunity for ākonga to gather their thoughts. Pause, observe and prepare for any further action that may be needed.
- Ask other ākonga to move away or leave the classroom if necessary. Be aware how this may impact others.
- Use your school’s agreed process for getting support.
Reconnect and restore
Reconnect and restore
Support ākonga to feel safe and calm after a challenging situation. Proactively protect the tapu and mana of ākonga and others involved in the challenging situation.
Take into account the impact of perseveration, which can be a characteristic of people with FASD. Perseveration means ākonga can get stuck or fixated in a thought pattern or an action and find it difficult to move on.
Give ākonga extra time and space to settle
- Students with FASD are likely to need extra time to recover from distress.
- Extend time in alternative spaces and doing alternative activities.
- Reduce demands for extended periods.
Immediately after the situation
- Monitor the wellbeing of ākonga, kaiako and anyone else who may have been affected by the situation.
- Use karakia, waiata, and calming strategies ākonga might know or have in their support plan.
- Offer ākonga food or drink.
- Make sure that someone with a solid connection with the ākonga can stay nearby.
Support ākonga to re-engage with classroom activities
- Provide a warm, welcoming environment.
- Gently and discreetly support ākonga to re-engage with classroom activities.
- Facilitate activities and include peers.
- Suggest things you know they enjoy and can do.
- Reduce learning demands.
- Use restorative practices.
Consider next steps for teachers
- Take time to reflect on the situation.
- Debrief with school leaders or colleagues.
- Connect with parents, whānau and caregivers.
- Plan what needs to happen next.
- Reflect on any environmental factors that could be improved.
- Reflect as a team on the school’s policies and practices.
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Key areas to support”:
-
Current page Support wellbeing and minimise distress
Return to the guide “Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and learning”
![11458 [FASD-002.JPG]](https://inclusive-live-storagestack-assetstorages3bucket-3uty0hejzw6u.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/inclusive-education/guides/featured-images/FASD-002__FillWzIwOCwyMDhd.JPG)
How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: FASD and learning
Understand:
- Understanding FASD
-
Teach students about alcohol harm during pregnancyShow suggestions for Teach students about alcohol harm during pregnancy
Strategies for action:
-
Identify needs and how to provide supportShow suggestions for Identify needs and how to provide support
-
Key areas to supportShow suggestions for Key areas to support
- Respond to FASD impacts on the brain
- Reduce overload and sensory challenges
- Support skill and concept development
- Support social and emotional learning
- Support wellbeing and minimise distress
-
Helpful classroom strategies years 1-8Show suggestions for Helpful classroom strategies years 1-8
-
Helpful classroom strategies years 9-13Show suggestions for Helpful classroom strategies years 9-13
