agent alcohol” (Hess and Kenner 3). Secondary disabilities are “those that result as complications from lack of early intervention and diagnosis of primary disabilities” (Hess and Kenner 3). Examples of secondary disabilities include mental health problems, inappropriate sexual behavior, disrupted school experience, trouble with the law, confinement for a crime, and drug and/or alcohol abuse. Early identification and intervention may be the most effective way to avoid or lessen the secondary disabilities. Interventions in the child’s and family’s educational, health and psychosocial needs could help children afflicted by FAS reach their highest potential. Early intervention includes strategies and services that are provided to aid the child and family of the child with FAS. The first five years of life are the most important in a child’s development, therefore early intervention is most effective during these early years. The most beneficial interventions are those that take on the holistic approach, which includes not only providing support for the child with FAS but the family of the child also. The family needs to be provided with educational, health, and psychological services in order to fully understand and support their child. (Hess and Kenner 3) Working with children affected by Fetal Alcohol syndrome can be difficult and tiring but with the right knowledge of the disease and how it effects the child, interaction can be much easier. There are five key to working with these children structure, consistency, variety, brevity and persistence. Caregivers should provide external structure for these children because they lack internal structure. It is also important to be consistent because the child needs to know the world is predictable. Brevity in explanations and directions is important because they have serious problems with attentiveness. Use a variety of different ways to keep t...
