FASDs: Information for Educators
This section of our website has tools and information about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) for educators.
Find out how alcohol use during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and a range of lifelong disorders, known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).
Adolescent Screening and Substance Use
The journal article “Adolescent Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment for Substance Use: An Application for School Social Workers” encourages school social workers to incorporate adolescent screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for substance use. Highlights are drawn from the resource, Substance Use Screening and Intervention Implementation Guide, developed through a cooperative agreement between the American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC.
Learn basic information about FASDs, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options.
Strategies, resources, and information for teaching children with FASDs. Through a partnership with CDC, FASD United (formerly under NOFAS) developed a K-12 FASD Education and Prevention Curriculum for teachers that includes strategies, resources, and information for teaching children with FASDs. This Curriculum provides age-appropriate information about the consequences that alcohol can have on human development while also encouraging youth to be tolerant and accepting of all individuals regardless of the person’s individual capabilities or disabilities.
This Toolbox contains strategies and resources for working with children with FASDs in the classroom setting. This Toolbox is a compilation of advice from the Marcus Institute and the Maternal Substance Abuse and Child Development Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
A resource for parents and teachers to use when educating elementary and middle school children with FASDs. The booklet provides a basic introduction to FASDs and provides tools to enhance communication between parents and teachers, including schedules, strategies, and problem-solving. This resource was developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an FASD Center for Excellence.
Beyond Labels: Stigma Reduction Toolkit
Beyond Labels is an interactive website focused on the ways stigma can affect the health care and support women seek and receive; this includes those who are pregnant. It also offers tips on what healthcare professionals can do to reduce stigma in their workplaces or communities. The website also includes a module specific to the stigma associated with substance use disorder and pregnancy.
The Science Ambassador Fellowship is the only program of its kind offered by CDC for STEM teachers and educational leaders interested in bringing public health sciences into middle- and high-school classrooms. This competitive fellowship includes a 5-day summer course at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, and a 1-year distance-based professional development opportunity.
Children should reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, and act. A delay in any of these areas could be a sign of a developmental problem, even an FASD. Visit our webpage to see milestones that children should reach from 3 months to 5 years of age, plus interactive tools for parents and educators to help keep track of the milestones.
Find more information and resources on FASDs for educators from other organizations, including research-based tools and approaches to help educators working with children that have challenging behaviors.