People of Louisiana – Community (May 2023)
LOUISIANA
FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS
SUMMIT
FREE Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Summit
Hosted by The Human Development Center of New Orleans
June 16-17, 2023
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person who was exposed to alcohol before birth. These effects can include physical problems and problems with behavior and learning. Often, a person with an FASD has a mix of these problems. The CDC estimates that as many as 1 in 20 second graders has an FASD. This is about twice as high as CDC estimates for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The CDC and WHO state on their websites that FASD is the leading cause of developmental disabilities in the U.S. and the world, respectively. Yet, there is no code in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) for diagnosing FASD.
Research shows that very few children with FASD ever receive a diagnosis of FASD- but many are misdiagnosed with other conditions. Because FASD results in a brain injury (i.e., damage to the corpus callosum), individuals with FASD experience poor executive functioning, short-term memory, and other cognitive impairments. Research has shown that typical operant conditioning methods used by BCBA therapists are ineffective at best and often counterproductive because the frontal cortex (higher-order thinking) does not have pathways to lower regions of the brain. To illustrate, a person with FASD who puts his hand on a hot stove on Monday- gets burned (punished) may put his hand on a hot stove on Tuesday because messages about the experience did not get sent/received across the corpus callosum. This phenomenon prevents typical operant conditioning from establishing the good old stimulus-response pattern sought by behavior analysts. These kids often present with ADD or ADHD behavior. The drugs that are used to ease such conditions are often counterproductive for people with FASD.
As a result of the previous two phenomena- children with FASD often are viewed as exhibiting challenging behavior- and a chain of events usually gets established, which results in these children being seen as “trouble-makers” or as behaviorally challenged- which starts the cascade of events that frequently ends up with them being expelled, or dropping out of school.
The Human Development Center of New Orleans is hosting a FREE FASD Summit from June 16-17 to raise awareness of FASD and begin building engagement with people with lived experience and those who serve individuals and families with FASD. You can join virtually or in person! Learn more and register by visiting: https://lsuh.sc/ahfasdsummit2023
Mary McLeod Bethune was a woman who understood the power of education. She was first in her family to be born free, in the late 1800s, and to receive a formal education. A skilled activist and presidential adviser, her calling was to pay it forward, so with meager funds – $1.50 – but unlimited faith, she opened a school for African American girls in 1904. From these beginnings, her school went on to become Bethune-Cookman College, a Historically Black College (HBCU), and she served as the college’s president. Visiting her home on her college campus, I touched the desk where she worked and stood in the parlor where she hosted leaders as she advocated for education, healthcare and opportunities for women. I spoke to her granddaughters (pictured here) about her relentless commitment to education, equity and opportunity. A women of countless firsts, she is a trailblazer who understood the connection between learning and social mobility and so much more, and used this understanding to improve the lives of so many.
As we seek to reach our educational goals, one big focus for us is expanding access to dual enrollment. Today almost 29,000 Louisiana students start college in high school and over the past few years we’ve been proud to see an increase of 1,500 African American students participating.
To bring this opportunity to our students, particularly the equipment needed to support career and technical courses, we deployed mobile labs, which now visit high schools across the state. The labs are praised for their utility and effectiveness in getting college-level experiences to high school students. It’s a concept I saw first-hand at another HBCU. This was not a new shiny mobile lab parked out front at Tuskegee University, but a historical one in the museum honoring George Washington Carver. I knew and admired him as an agricultural powerhouse, scientist and inventor, “The Father of the Peanut Industry.” I had heard of his outreach efforts to farmers in communities near and far, but I was delighted to see the 
Whether our students come to a college or university campus or if we bring the learning to them, progress hinges on access to strong, high-quality education that prepares citizens for viable careers and prosperity. I am proud to stand on the shoulders of these African American giants, to learn from them and to answer the call to extend their legacy as fierce advocates for education, equity and talent development. That’s how Louisiana will prosper.
