The Arc's FAS Curriculum

Sharing Stories, Finding Hope: A Curriculum for Families & Others Affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome & Neurodevelopmental Disorder

The Arc's FAS curriculum was written for families who are raising children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) and also targets health and human services professionals who support these families. The curriculum's message is that with early intervention and support, secondary conditions that individuals with FAS/ARND may acquire due to the effects of their mother's prenatal alcohol use can be reduced.

This curriculum is designed to educate parents and professionals working in school systems, public health service agencies, and social service agaencies about FAS and ARND. It covers how to secure access to appropriate diagnostic and treatment services for affected children and their families, how to adapt skills for parenting these children, and how to obtain services for children and adults with FAS/ARND and ways to establish family support. The curriculum is available for purchase. Click here for the order form (PDF).

Why This Curriculum Was Written

Fetal alcohol syndrome (or FAS) was defined and recognized as a birth defect in 1973 in the United States. Since that time there have been a number of public awareness efforts to educate society about the dangers of women drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Today, although many people have heard about FAS, they may be unaware of secondary conditions (also referred to as secondary disabilities) that accompany FAS/ARND. Secondary conditions are those problems that the child is not born with, but might acquire as a result of having FAS or ARND. In the quote above, Hunter mentions struggling with drug and alcohol problems, which are fairly common secondary conditions among people with FAS/ARND.

Families of children with FAS/ARND become particularly concerned about secondary conditions as their child becomes an adolescent. One researcher studied 415 people ages 6 to 51 with FAS or ARND and found that 90 percent had mental health problems. Of those 12 and over, 60 percent experienced a disrupted school experience, 60 percent had trouble with the law, 50 percent experienced confinement due to mental health problems, alcohol/drug problems or incarceration for a crime, 50 percent demonstrated inappropriate sexual behavior and 30 percent had alcohol or drug problems (Streissguth, et.al., 1996).

As parents of children with FAS/ARND learn about the potential for secondary conditions to develop, they can become depressed if they view their child's future as compromised. They need to be reassured that there is hope. This curriculum was developed to give hope to families affected by FAS who need to know about the opportunities, services and supports available to their child.

Early diagnosis is critical in order to help children with FAS/ARND develop their own individual strengths and learn how to cope with their disability in their everyday lives. Once a diagnosis is made, families can better prepare their child for the risks they face in developing secondary conditions as they mature into adolescents and adults. Families and educational/medical professionals who understand the child's diagnosis of FAS/ARND can be proactive in supporting the child according to his or her unique needs.