Secondary Disabilities
With understanding, appropriate expectations and supportive environments, individuals with FASD can perform adequately and live fulfilled lives. However, individuals who grow up without this kind of structured support, may encounter frequent situations in which they are frustrated and punished for their inability to meet the expectations of classrooms, social groups, jobs or communities.
Individuals with FASD have the invisible disability of CNS dysfunction and are often misunderstood. Their deficits can be misconstrued as laziness, noncompliance or willful misconduct. Streissguth and Kanter note that adolescents and adults with FASD often experience secondary disabilities, or emotional and societal problems related to their difficulty managing typical expectations.
Lemoine, Steinhausen and their colleagues have documented the array of difficulties individuals with FASD may experience as adults which include:
Individuals with FASD have the invisible disability of CNS dysfunction and are often misunderstood. Their deficits can be misconstrued as laziness, noncompliance or willful misconduct. Streissguth and Kanter note that adolescents and adults with FASD often experience secondary disabilities, or emotional and societal problems related to their difficulty managing typical expectations.
Lemoine, Steinhausen and their colleagues have documented the array of difficulties individuals with FASD may experience as adults which include:
- Social Isolation
- Depression - Anxiety - Suicidal thoughts and attempts |
- Delinquency
- Unplanned pregnancies - Homelessness - Victimization |
Such difficulties occur when there is a discrepancy between expectations and a person’s ability to perform.