Consult with a learning specialist if there are language concerns; he/she may suggest specific interventions. These specialists can be very helpful:
- Speech and Language Specialist
- Resource Specialist
- Occupational Therapist
Address Tracking Difficulties
Reading decoding may be difficult for some FASD students due to tracking difficulties.
- Have the student’s vision checked once a year
- Use a bookmark or a ruler if the student has trouble tracking
- Use a green arrow on the left side as a reminder that reading is a left-to-right process
Make Reading Meaningful
- Teach sound/symbol association in a meaningful manner
- Do not use nonsense words or programs that incorporate a purely phonetic approach;
this method will lead to confusion - Teach word families
- Use a lot of repetition
- Review learned material
Read for Comprehension
- Use contextual clues to assist with comprehension
- Use pictures/illustrations to assist with comprehension
- Use a technique to help a student visualize what he has read, such as Lindamood-Bell’s Visualizing-Verbalizing Program
- Read in small chunks; check for understanding
- Use high interest reading material at the student’s reading level
Visualize Writing
After reading a short story, make a picture-outline.
- Tell the student to fold a paper in 1/4’s
- Draw four main scenes from the story
- Write a sentence about each picture
- Put the sentences together
The student now has a short paragraph.
Write for Communication
- Practice writing phone messages
- Write shopping lists
- Write notes and memos
- Write letters
Organize Writing
- Anchor ideas
- Brainstorm
- Story web
- Outline
- Provide examples students can keep at their desks
- Allow students to begin their writing assignment using a tape recorder
Teach Word Processing
- Teach keyboarding skills
- A desk size keyboard may be useful for students in the 4th and 5th grades when they are taking notes or working on writing assignments