Numbers, Sequences Pose Problems For Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Children
Article Date: 24 Dec 2006 - 10:00 PST
Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) have particular difficulty
understanding numbers and sequences, a University of Alberta study shows.
An assessment of 50 Canadian children diagnosed with FASD, a condition caused by the mother's alcohol consumption while a fetus is still in the womb, revealed that the youngsters had specific deficits in memory for numbers and sequences, which may contribute to common math difficulties faced by these children. Prenatal alcohol abuse often leaves them with losses in physical, behavioural, emotional and social functioning.
The findings of the study, published in the December issue of Child Neuropsychology, may help refine assessments of FASD children and provide a 'neurobehavioural profile' to ensure they receive the most effective treatment possible, said lead author Dr. Carmen Rasmussen, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.
"Knowing this would help in classrooms with FASD children," said Rasmussen. The typical teaching rate may be too rapid for children with FASD, resulting in large amounts of missed information, she said. "The study definitely has implications for treatment and education down the road."
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