2026 Education and FASD International Conference
• Oct 23, 2026
From Invisible Exclusion to Classroom Inclusion: Practical Tools and Grassroots Action for FASD in Education in Aotearoa New Zealand
1:30PM to
2:10PM PDT
/ 40min
Across Aotearoa New Zealand, as in many communities globally, ākonga/students with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) frequently face and experience 'invisible exclusion'—a reality where neurodevelopmental differences are misunderstood as wilful and behavioural defiance, leading to disciplinary actions, disengagement, pressures put on whānau/families, and 'informal' removals from school. To address these systemic barriers, FASD-CAN has developed a suite of initiatives designed to share practical strategies with educators, and foster genuine kura/school inclusion.
In this presentation we will share three of FASD-CAN Aotearoa's key education initiatives:
- FASD Training Course for Educators - Kete into Practice: An introduction to our core educator resource - an in-depth, practical training course to support kaiko/educators to understand and better support FASD in our kura/schools.
- FASD KEA (Kiwi Education and Attendance) Tracker: A tool designed to capture, track informal exclusion and attendance barriers, and shed light on what is actually happening at the 'grassroots' level that is being missed in government statistics.
- FASD Developmental Age Profile Worksheets and Guides: We will introduce our new initiative aimed to help educators identify and focus on developmental and functional age, rather than chronological age.
- We will explore the 'why, the how, and the what' of these initiatives. By reflecting on these initiatives, we seek to promote thought and reflection for international educators and advocates dedicated to FASD ākonga/student inclusion.