EDUC244 Test 2, Week 5 Flashcards
(38 cards)
What proportion of babies born in Aotearoa
New Zealand are estimated to have FASD?
Te Whatu Ora / the Ministry of Health estimates 3%-5% of births will result in babies who have FASD.
Romeo et al (2023) – 1.7%
What level of alcohol consumption is safe for
women to drink during their pregnancies.
There is no safe amount known
How does alcohol compare in relation to the harm
caused by other substance exposures during
pregnancy?
Alcohol is worse than many other drugs when it comes to resulting brain damage for the unborn baby in pregnancy.
Can FASD be identified by the altered facial features of people affected?
The ‘sentinel facial features’ which many associate with FASD occur in less than 10% of babies.
The average IQ of a person with FASD is:
1. Average
2. Below 70
Only 20% have an Intellectual disability below 70. The rest have an IQ in the normal range
The Hidden Disability (FASD)
- Less than 10% have the sentinel facial features
- Fewer than 20% have an intellectual disability
- Some have the ability to mask the full impact of their disability – articulate; appear knowledgeable; social
FASD by numbers
- No NZ prevalence study
- Te Whatu Ora estimates 3-5% of population
- Romeo et al gives conservative estimate of 1.7%
(sensitivity analysis 1.1-3.9%) - Only 3-5% of these will have been diagnosed
- Estimated 50% of children in Oranga Tamariki care
- FASD is internationally recognised as the main
contributor to non-genetic neurodisability in the
world
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION DURING
PREGNANCY
- 40-50% of pregnancies are unplanned in NZ
- 71% of women drank alcohol before pregnancy or becoming aware they were pregnant
- 23% of women drank alcohol during the first trimester
- 13% of women continued to drink after the first trimester
- 13,000 pregnancies exposed to alcohol per annum
FASD Assessment & Diagnosis
- Multidisciplinary team approach
- Involves input from individuals, families,
professionals supporting them - Psychological and clinical testing
- The functional impairment is classified in
9 neurodevelopmental brain domains
OTHER FACTORS (FASD)
- Presence of facial features, 3 specific features
- Head circumference
- Consideration of other syndromes for
differential diagnosis - Age – ‘at risk’ category
KEY LEARNINGS (FASD)
- FASD is caused by prenatal alcohol exposure
- There is no known safe limit you can drink
- There is significant stigma attached to FASD
- Very few people with FASD have sentinel facial features
- FASD is a largely “hidden disability”
- Sentinel facial features have nothing to do with the degree and severity of brain and body damage.
- Average or high IQ has nothing to do with the severity of brain and body damage
- Behaviour is a symptom of the disability
- Problems with behaviour are NOT the result of poor parenting
- Formal assessment and/or diagnosis is beneficial for informing supports & learning
- FASD is a life-long disability that affects the brain and body
- FASD is a “whole of body” disorder
FASD and ADHD
- ADHD is 8-10 fold higher in people with FASD than in the general population
- Both disorders affect brain function, development and behaviour
- Both are life-long
- Commonalities are hyperactivity, impulsive behaviour, short attention span
- FASD has been linked to more executive function issues
Substance use (FASD)
- People with FASD use substances at rates 5
times higher than the general population - 35% will develop an alcohol or drug use disorder.
Suicide (FASD)
- One third of people with FASD will experience suicidal ideation.
- Suicidal ideation is high compared to the general population
- FASD 25.9% vs. general population 3 to 12%
- Suicidality ideation is experienced at much younger ages among people with FASD than in the general population
- Substance use by people with FASD increased the incidence of suicidal ideation by 6.7 times
Mental Health (FASD)
- 90% of people with FASD have co-occurring
mental health diagnoses, compared with 20% in
the general population - Depression (45%-50%) and anxiety (20%-40%)
are the most common - Rates of psychiatric disorders such as psychotic
and personality disorders, conduct and
oppositional defiance disorders, depression,
anxiety and substance use are higher - People with FASD are more likely to have
significantly higher Adverse Childhood Experience
(ACE) scores than non-FASD people
Confabulation
make up things
that may not be true
ON THE INSIDE … WHAT WE CAN’T SEE
(The Brain)(FASD)
- Slow processing speed
- Not catching all / forgetting what is said
- Brain doesn’t think about consequences
- Body moves before brain can think
- May be desperate to appear ‘normal’
- Brain gets stuck, cannot process the
same way each time
SENSORY PROCESSING CHALLENGES
- Over or under-sensitive to sensory stimuli (or both)
- Sound – noises /over-stimulating places
- Sight – bright lights/flickering lights/too much movement/changes in environment
- Touch – touch averse or avoidant/seeking
- Balance – uncoordinated
Why is the term “naughty” problematic when describing a child’s behavior?
It has a negative connotation and focuses on the child rather than the behavior. A better alternative would be “Behaviors that challenge” focuses on the behavior, not the child.
At what age do children typically begin to engage in autonomous, active self-regulation?
Around 2 years of age.
What does effortful control allow children to do?
It allows children to focus attention on managing their emotions.
What are the risks associated with undercontrol of emotions?
Increased risk of externalizing problems such as aggression and tantrums.
What are the risks associated with overcontrol of emotions?
Increased risk of internalizing problems such as anxiety and depression.
What factors influence the development of emotional regulation skills?
Prenatal tobacco exposure, parent-child interaction, attachment, executive functioning skills, and sleep.
