Support processing and organisation
Provide a range of supports and visuals to help Year 1-8 students to be independent learners.
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Provide students with more time
Provide students with more time
I’ll never forget Mrs. Spencer. She let me go at my own pace and said not to worry about keeping up with the class.
Student
Break tasks down
Break tasks down
Keep instructions simple by breaking tasks down into parts.
- Break tasks into small achievable steps, starting with what the student can already do.
- Provide instructions in short segments, for example, teach → student activity → teach → student activity.
- Use visuals, graphic organisers and checklists to support each step.
- Highlight key parts of the task.
- Check understanding by asking students to show you rather than explain expectations.
- Use peers or buddies to support the student at each step.
- Give positive feedback as students progress through the steps.
- Check on student progress frequently.
Use visual timetables
Use visual timetables
Provide visuals, concrete models and examples
Provide visuals, concrete models and examples
Help students to be able to locate resources, plan their work and organise their thoughts using visuals and concrete models and examples.
- Label key areas of the classroom and resources with visual and text labels.
- Use charts, visual calendars, colour-coded schedules, visible timers and visual cues to help students complete tasks and transitions successfully.
- Provide tactile examples of what you are teaching. Allowing the student with FASD to see and touch something will help them succeed in learning.
- Use the student’s own life experiences and knowledge when teaching new ideas. This gives them a reference point for their learning and helps them make connections with their prior learning.
- Ensure that all materials and resources, including digital resources, are accessible to the student.
Provide choices between one or two options
Provide choices between one or two options
FASD means that my brain has trouble thinking of lots of things at once. This makes it really hard for me to make choices and decisions.
It is helpful when I have someone else to help me understand what the choices are and how they might affect me.
Student
Support time management
Support time management
Introduce tools such as visual timers to reduce surprise that an activity is over or to signal that a transition is coming.
Useful resources
Useful resources
Effective strategies for information-processing and memory difficulties
Read time: 4 min
Specific classroom strategies for supporting students of all ages with FASD to process information. Part of an online guide for educators called Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
Publisher: Duke University
Supporting brain differences
A series of videos with explanations and strategies to support: sensory processing, executive functions, memory difficulties, slow processing pace, impulsivity, attention difficulties and more.
Publisher: British Columbia Ministry of Education
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Helpful classroom strategies years 1-8”:
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How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: FASD and learning
Understand:
- Understanding FASD
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Teach students about alcohol harm during pregnancyShow suggestions for Teach students about alcohol harm during pregnancy
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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Key areas to supportShow suggestions for Key areas to support
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Helpful classroom strategies years 1-8Show suggestions for Helpful classroom strategies years 1-8
- Create structure
- Support participation and confidence
- Support understanding
- Support processing and organisation
- Provide options for students to create, learn and share
- Manage successful transitions
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Helpful classroom strategies years 9-13Show suggestions for Helpful classroom strategies years 9-13
