Assessment for Intervention of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Perspectives of Classroom Teachers, Administrators, Caregivers, and Allied Professionals

Abstract

The present study begins to address the need for evidence-based approaches for guiding the psychological assessment of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). This project represents an important step toward increasing links between research and practice in the communication and use of assessment results for informing intervention decisions. Using a qualitative research approach, the current study contributes to knowledge about concerns with current psychological assessment practices and offers suggestions for optimization based on conversations with teachers, administrators, caregivers and allied professionals. Thematic analysis of 11 focus groups and 3 interviews (N = 60) yielded 3 major findings: the need to focus on the whole child, the necessity of an assessment process that is responsive, and building capacity in the school. This study increases the links between research and practice as we move toward a model of assessment for intervention. Such a model has a strong potential for optimizing assessment practices to better meet the needs of children with FASDs as it promotes a shift that focuses on successful child outcomes regardless of diagnosis.

Share and Cite:

Pei, J. , Job, J. , Poth, C. & Atkinson, E. (2013). Assessment for Intervention of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Perspectives of Classroom Teachers, Administrators, Caregivers, and Allied Professionals. Psychology, 4, 325-334. doi: 10.4236/psych.2013.43A047.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] Ackerman, M. E. (1998). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Implications for educators. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED426560. Chatham, VA: Rivermont School Central Health.
[2] Anastasi, A., &Urbina, S. (1997). Psychological testing. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
[3] Blackburn, C., Carpenter, B., & Egerton, J. (2010). Shaping the future for children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. British Journal of Learning Support, 25, 139-145. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9604.2010.01452.x
[4] Borghese, N., & Cole, E. (1994). Psychoeducational recommendations: Perceptions of school psychologists and classroom teachers. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 10, 70-87.
[5] Burd, L., Klug, M. G., Martsolf, J. T., & Kerbeshian, J. (2003). Fetal alcohol syndrome: Neuropsychiatric phenomics. Neurtoxicology & Teratology, 25, 697-705. doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2003.07.014
[6] Chudley, A. E., Conry, J., Cook, J. L., Loocke, C., Rosales, T., & Le-Blanc, N. (2005). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Canadian guidelines for diagnosis. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 172, 1-21. doi:10.1503/cmaj.1040302
[7] Cheramie, G., Goodman, B., Santos, V., & Webb, E. (2007). Teacher perceptions of psychological reports submitted for emotional disturbance eligibility. Journal of Education and Human Development, 1, 1-8.
[8] Clark, E. C. (2012). Assessment of a school-based intervention for elementary school students diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Ph.D. Dissertation, Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia.
[9] Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
[10] Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
[11] Duquette, C., Stodel, E., Fullarton, S., & Hagglund, K. (2006a). Persistence in high school: Experiences of adolescents and young adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 31, 219-231. doi:10.1080/13668250601031930
[12] Duquette, C., Stodel, E., Fullarton, S., & Hagglund, K. (2006b). Teaching students with developmental disabilities: Tips from teens and young adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39, 28-31.
[13] Fletcher, J. M., Foorman, B. R., Boudousquie, A., Barnes, M. A., Schatschneider, C., & Francis, D. J. (2002). Assessment of reading and learning disabilities: A research-based intervention-oriented approach. Journal of School Psychology, 40, 27-63. doi:10.1016/S0022-4405(01)00093-0
[14] Fletcher, J. M., Francis, D. J., Shaywitz, S. E., Lyon, G. R., Foorman, B. R., Stuebing, K. K., & Shaywitz, B. A. (1998). Intelligent testing and the discrepancy model for children with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 13, 186-203.
[15] Gahagan, S., Telfair Sharpe, T., Brimacombe, M., Fry-Johnson, Y., Brenneman, G., Levine, R., Mengel, M., O’Connor, M., Paley, B., & Adubato, S. (2006). Pediatricians’ knowledge, training, and experience in the care of children: With fetal alcohol syndrome. Pediatrics, 118, e657-e668. doi:10.1542/peds.2005-0516
[16] Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967).The discovery of grounded theory. Chicago, IL: Aldine.
[17] Green, J. H. (2007). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Understanding the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and supporting students. Journal of School Health, 77, 103-108. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2007.00178.x
[18] Groth-Marnat, G. (2009). The five assessment issues you meet when you go to heaven. Journal of Personality Assessment, 91, 303-310. doi:10.1080/00223890902935662
[19] Harris, S. R., MacKay, L. L. J., & Osborn, J. A. (1995). Autistic behaviors in offspring of mothers abusing alcohol and other drugs: A series of case reports. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 19, 660-665. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1995.tb01564.x
[20] Harvey, V. (1997). Improving the readability of psychological reports. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 28, 271-274. doi:10.1037/0735-7028.28.3.271
[21] Harvey, V. (2006).Variables affecting the clarity of psychological reports. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62, 5-18. doi:10.1002/jclp.20196
[22] Healthy Child Manitoba (2010). What early childhood educators and caregivers need to know about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). URL (last checked 20 June 2012) http://www.gov.mb.ca/healthychild/fasd/fasdearly_en.pdf
[23] Howell, K. K., Lynch, M. E., Platzman, K. A., Smith, G. H., & Coles, C. D. (2006). Prenatal alcohol exposure and ability, academic achievement, and school functioning in adolescence: A longitudinal follow-up. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 31, 116-126. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsj029
[24] Jimerson, S. R., Sharkey, J. D., Nyborg, V., & Furlong, M. J. (2004). Strength-based assessment and school psychology: A summary and synthesis. The California School Psychologist, 9, 9-19.
[25] Job, J., Pasula-Carter, B., Brandell, D., Pei, J., Poth, C., & Macnab, J. (2011). Toward better collaboration in the education of students with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Perspectives of teachers, admini- strators, caregivers, and allied professionals. Hawaii International Con- ference on Education in Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawaii.
[26] Job, J. M., Poth, C. A., Pei, J., Caissie, B., Brandell, D., & Macnab, J. (2013). Toward better collaboration in the education of students with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Integrating the voices of teachers, administrators, caregivers, and allied professionals. Qualitative Research in Education, 2, 38-64.
[27] Kalberg, W., & Buckley, D. (2007). FASD: What types of intervention and rehabilitation are useful? Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 31, 278-285. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2006.06.014
[28] Kelly, S. J., Day, N., & Streissguth, A. P. (2000). Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on social behaviour in humans and other species. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 22, 143-149. doi:10.1016/S0892-0362(99)00073-2
[29] Klin, A., Saulnier, C. D., Tsatsanis, K. D., & Volkmar, F. R. (2005) Clinical evaluation in autism spectrum disorders: Psychological assessment within a transdisciplinary framework. In F. R. Volkmar, R. Paul, A. Klin, & D. Cohen (Eds.), Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
[30] Knoetze, J., & Vermoter, C. (2007). Communication of psycho-educational assessment results: Remedial teachers’ reading of assessment reports. South African Journal of Education, 27, 1-18.
[31] Koren, G., Nulman, I., Chudley, A. E., & Loocke, C. (2003). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 169, 1181-1185.
[32] Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2000). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
[33] Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
[34] Malisza, K. L., Allman, A. A., Shiloff, D., Jakobson, L., Longstaffe, S., & Chudley, A. E. (2005). Evaluation of spatial working memory function in children and adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Pediatric Research, 58, 1150-1157. doi:10.1203/01.pdr.0000185479.92484.a1
[35] Mastoras, S., Climie, E., McCrimmon, A., & Schwean, V. (2011). A C.L.E.A.R. approach to report writing: A framework for improving the efficacy of psychoeducational reports. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 26, 127-147. doi:10.1177/0829573511409722
[36] Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
[37] Paley, B., & O’Connor, M. J. (2009). Interventions for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Treatment approaches and case management. Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 15, 258-267. doi:10.1002/ddrr.67
[38] Paley B., O’Connor, M. J., Baillie, S. et al. (2009). Integrating case topics in medical school curriculum to enhance multiple skill learning: Using fetal alcohol spectrum disorders as an exemplary case. Academic Psychiatry, 33, 143-148. doi:10.1176/appi.ap.33.2.143
[39] Patton. M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
[40] Pei, J., Denys, K., Hughes, J., & Rasmussen, C. (2011). Mental health issues in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Journal of Mental Health, 20, 438-448. doi:10.3109/09638237.2011.577113
[41] Pei, J. Job, J. M., Poth, C., O’Brien-Langer, A., & Tang, W. (2013). Pre-service teachers’ knowledge and attitudes about students with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Manuscript in preparation.
[42] Poth, C., Pei, J., Job, J. M., & Wyper, K. (2013). Fostering a focus on the whole student: Implications for classroom practice. Manuscript in preparation.
[43] Public Health Agency of Canada (2011). Assessment and diagnosis of FASD among adults: A national and international systematic review. http://www.phacaspc.gc.ca/fasd-etcaf/index-eng.php
[44] Rasmussen, C. (2005). Executive functioning and working memory in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 29, 1359-1367. doi:10.1097/01.alc.0000175040.91007.d0
[45] Reddy, L., & Newman, E. (2009). School-based programs for children with emotional disturbance: Obstacles to program design and implementation and guidelines for school practitioners. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 25, 169-186. doi:10.1080/15377900802486971
[46] Rhee, S., Furlong, M., Turner, J., & Harari, I. (2001). Integrating strength-based perspectives in psychoeducational evaluations. The California School Psychologist, 6, 5-17.
[47] Ryan, S., & Ferguson, D. L. (2006a). On, yet under, the radar: Students with fetal alcohol syndrome disorder. Exceptional Children, 72, 363-365.
[48] Ryan, S., & Ferguson, D. L. (2006b). The person behind the face of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Student experiences and family and professionals’ perspectives on FASD. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 25, 32-40.
[49] Seligman, M., Linley, P., & Joseph, A. (2004). Positive psychology in practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
[50] Steinhausen, H., Willms, J., Metzke, C.W., & Spohr, H. (2003). Behavioural phenotype in foetal alcohol syndrome and foetal alcohol effects. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 45, 179-182. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.2003.tb00927.x
[51] Streissguth, A., Bookstein, F., Barr, H., Sampson, P., O’Malley, K., & Young, J. (2004). Risk factors for adverse life outcomes in fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects. Journal of Developmental andBehavioral Pediatrics, 25, 228-238.
[52] Streissguth, A. P., & Kanter, J. (1997). The challenges of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Overcoming secondary disabilities. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press.
[53] Temple University Institute on Disabilities (2003). What we are learning about autism/pervasive developmental disorder: Evolving dialogues and approaches to promoting development and adaptation (2nd ed.). New Cumberland, PA: Contract Consultants, Inc.
[54] Terjesen, M. D., Jacofsky, M., Froh, J., & DiGiuseppe, R. (2004). Integrating positive psychology into schools: Implications for practice. Psychology in the Schools, 41, 163-172. doi:10.1002/pits.10148

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.