Why Drawing Can Help Persons with FASD

Drawing can really help kids with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in several ways:

1. It uses their strong visual skills. Kids with FASD are often better at processing visuals compared to other skills. Drawing lets them work with and create visuals, which can improve their understanding and memory.
2. It makes abstract ideas concrete. Abstract concepts can be hard for kids with FASD to grasp. But when they draw pictures, it makes those ideas more real and tangible for them.
3. It reduces language struggles. Writing requires good language abilities that kids with FASD frequently lack. Drawing lets them express themselves without relying as much on language skills.
4. It engages multiple senses. Drawing uses not just vision, but also touch and movement. Using multiple senses reinforces the learning for these kids.
5. It helps self-control. The process of drawing can improve skills like focusing, controlling impulses, and expressing emotions appropriately for kids with FASD.
6. It improves hand-eye coordination. Drawing requires coordinating vision with precise hand motions, which is often difficult for these kids. Practicing drawing can make this skill better over time.
7. It personalizes learning. When kids create their own drawings, it makes the information more meaningful and memorable because it directly connects to their own experiences and strengths.

Drawing plays to the visual strengths of kids with FASD while reducing demands in areas they struggle with like language. The hands-on, personalized, multi-sensory nature of drawing supports their overall learning and skill development.

TODAY’S NOTE: “For me drawing allows me to see what I need to do – I miss that my vision has changed so greatly through this journey with Type 1 Diabetes and End Stage Kidney Disease with Dialysis – Still hoping for transplant!” – In Solidarity, Liz