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Since it's founding in 1997, the CYC-Net discussion group has been asked thousands of questions. These questions often generate many replies from people in all spheres of the Child and Youth Care profession and contain personal experiences, viewpoints, as well as recommended resources.
Below are some of the threads of discussions on varying Child and Youth Care related topics.
Questions and Responses have been reproduced verbatim.
Listen to thisHi
I was wondering if there are any known interventions and programmes for
children having Foetal Alcohol Syndrome?
Regards
Alfred Harris
...
There are many documents outlining interventions and strategies suitable for
children on the spectrum. One is the site listed below from Alberta:
http://education.alberta.ca/admin/special/resources/fasd.aspx
Here is another from Asante Centre
http://www.asantecentre.org/Family_Support_Resources.html
David Martin
...
Dear Alfred,
Although this is not an area of expertise for me, I did find a few resources
for you by using a database search and a book search. I would be
willing to follow up on this if you would like copies of the articles
abstracted below. Or of the book.
Nick Smiar
__
Anderson, B. (2000). Fetal alcohol syndrome – Prevention, diagnosis,
treatment: A clinical guide for obstetric and pediatric providers.
Cambridge, MA: Vida Communications. [CD ROM].
Bertrand, J. (2009, Sept.-Oct.). Interventions for children with fetal
alcohol syndrome pectrum disorders (FASDs): Overview of findings for five
innovative research projects. Research in Developmental Disabilities, (5),
986-1006.
ABSTRACT:
It is well established that prenatal exposure to alcohol causes damage to
the developing fetus, resulting in a spectrum of disorders known as fetal
alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Although our understanding of the
deficits and disturbances associated with FASDs is far from complete, there
are consistent findings indicating these are serious, lifelong
disabilities-especially when these disabilities result from central nervous
system damage. Until recently, information and strategies for interventions
specific to individuals with FASDs have been gleaned from interventions used
with people with other disabilities and from the practical wisdom gained by
parents and clinicians through trial and error or shared through informal
networks. Although informative to a limited degree, such interventions have
been implemented without being evaluated systematically or scientifically.
The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of a general
intervention framework developed for individuals with FASDs and the methods
and general findings of five specific intervention research studies
conducted within this framework. The studies evaluated five different
interventions in five diverse locations in the United States, with different
segments of the FASD population. Nonetheless, all participants showed
improvement in the target behaviors or skills, with four studies achieving
statistical significance in treatment outcomes. Important lessons emerged
from these five interventions that may explain success: including parent
education or training, teaching children specific skills they would usually
learn by observation or abstraction, and integration into existing systems
of treatment. A major implication of these research studies for families
dealing with FASDs is that there are now interventions available that can
address their children's needs and that can be presented as scientifically
validated and efficacious to intervention agents such as schools, social
services and mental health providers. In the field of FASD research and
clinical service, a common theme reported by families has been that
clinicians and professionals have been reluctant to diagnose their children
because there were no known effective treatments. Results of these five
studies dispel that concern by demonstrating several interventions that have
been shown to improve the lives of individuals with FASDs and their
families.
__
Laugeson, E.A.; Paley, B.; Schonfeld, A.M.; Carpenter, E.M.; Framkel, F.; &
O'Connor, M. J. (2007). Adaptation of the Children's Friendship
Training Program for Children with fetal alcohol syndrome spectrum
disorders. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 29(3), 57-69.
ABSTRACT:
Previous research attests to the marked impairments in social functioning
exhibited by children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD),
suggesting that such children are in need of social skills intervention.
Recently, an existing evidence-based manualized behavioral treatment for
improving children's friendships was implemented and demonstrated to be
effective with children aged 6-12, diagnosed with FASD. In the present
report, we describe methods for adapting this behavioral intervention in
line with the specific cognitive and behavioral deficits seen in children
with FASD and other developmental disabilities to enhance treatment
efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Frankel, Fred. D., & Myatt, Robert J. (2002). Children's Friendship
Training. New York: Routledge. [Paperback edition].
...
Dear Alfred
Try FASFACTS which is supported in your province and which last week had
successful educational campaigns. They run excellent progammes in the rural
areas of Western Cape. Also the university of Cape Town Health
Centres.
Contact the McGregor Family Centre which pioneered a special needs school
for those affected by FAS and which has integrated community programmes for
all vulnerable children.
Hope you find more help.
Ruth Bruintjies
Cape Town
...
An excellent Canadian resource for you is Debbie Michaud (Debbie.michaud@kpfs.com).
The folks there is Sioux Lookout do quite a bit of work in this area and
have also produced a very nice DVD featuring parents and foster parents
dealing with children with FAS. Her phone number is 807-737-3250.
Tell her Lorraine sent you.
Lorraine Fox
