If you are a teacher with a child diagnosed with FASD, please always remember this: When you ask them to do something, they may well respond with “No!” It’s not because they won’t, or are being defiant. It is because on average they take 22 seconds to process your instruction.

The most important action you can take as their teacher is to allow them time to process your instruction. 22 seconds feels like an eternity. BUT if you don’t, it is almost guaranteed to escalate to survival mode of fight, flight, flee. No one wants that. Least of all the child.

I hear so many examples where a teacher has asked, but not waited & then asked again, sometimes with a louder or shouty voice. Disaster!! Please, next time it happens distract yourself for 30 seconds then look to see if your instruction has been followed. You might be surprised!