2026 Education and FASD International Conference • Oct 23, 2026

School Suspension and Grade Retention in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

12:45PM to 1:25PM PDT / 40min

It is often stated that at least 20% of school-aged children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) have been suspended from school. This study examined whether school suspension and grade retention differ between school-aged children with FASD and a matched sample of children without FASD who had other clinical or behavioral diagnoses.

For this study, clinical records of 138 children with and without FASD were reviewed for developmental, educational, and disciplinary histories. Children were matched on age (mean age 9 years, 11 months) and gender. Outcomes included in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, and grade retention.

The findings indicated no differences in suspension rates between children with and without FASD in this clinical sample. However, significantly more children with FASD (26%) had repeated a grade compared to the matched sample (13%). This suggests that children with FASD were more likely to experience grade retention, highlighting the importance of addressing learning and academic needs in addition to behavioral concerns. Implications for educational interventions will be discussed.