Facing FASD Podcast Episode 2: Getting School Right for FASD. With Ailsa Clarke of Valiant Minds Education
Getting the right school setting is one of the biggest things that gives caregivers space. Too often, though, children with FASD are seen through a behaviourist lens instead of as having a brain-based disability.
In this episode, Anna talks with Ailsa Clarke, founder of Valiant Minds Education. Ailsa is a secondary teacher with more than 20 years' experience and the adoptive parent of a son with FASD. She also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in the Diagnosis and Management of FASD from the University of Edinburgh. She brings together lived experience, classroom know-how and clinical training to act as a "translator" between families and schools.
They cover why "all behaviour is communication" isn't enough on its own, why trauma-informed practice doesn't fix a brain injury, and how to get busy teachers to really engage with FASD. Ailsa explains the one-page "grab and go" pen portrait she creates with families, and shares practical advice for going into school meetings as an equal partner.
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