## Post 10: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
* **Category:** Diagnoses & Clinical Alignments
* **Affiliated Image:** `images/fasd_banner.png`
* **Excerpt:** Executive function coaching, simple sequence learning, and sensory pacing strategies for participants with FASD.
### 1. HHSC Regulatory Definition & Alignment
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are included on the Texas HHSC Related Conditions List. FASD is a term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy, resulting in permanent brain damage, cognitive deficits, and adaptive behavior delays manifesting before age 22.
### 2. Clinical Overview
FASD manifests as a complex mix of physical, cognitive, and behavioral challenges:
* Cognitive deficits: Impaired executive function (planning, organizing, abstract thinking), memory deficits, and slow information processing.
* Behavioral traits: Poor impulse control, difficulty connecting actions with consequences, and social vulnerability.
* Physical issues: Fine and gross motor coordination challenges, and sensory processing differences.
### 3. Typical Functional/Adaptive Challenges
ICAP adaptive domains affected:
* **Social and Communication Skills:** High susceptibility to peer pressure, difficulty interpreting nonverbal social cues, and managing boundaries.
* **Community Living Skills:** Handling money, telling time, managing schedules, and understanding safety limits.
### 4. Grace Steps Program Alignments (ICAP Goals)
* **Cognitive Rehabilitation Activities:** Re-enforcing planning, sequence completion, and memory via visual mapping tools and memory cards.
* **Social Interaction & Navigation:** Facilitating structured interactions to practice personal boundaries and social cues.
### 5. Facilitator Habilitation Action Guide
* **Simple Task Sequencing:** Break tasks into “First/Then” structures. Use visual cues (e.g., check-lists with pictures) to represent expectations.
* **Immediate Feedback:** Provide direct, supportive, and immediate feedback on social boundaries (e.g., “Remember to ask before giving a high-five”).
* **Sensory Pacing:** FASD brains are easily overstimulated. Limit duration in noisy or crowded public transit hubs, opting for quiet community spaces.
