November 11, 2026 at 16:00 - 5pm
Online
Nikita
Staying the course at kura / school is a top indicator for healthy life outcomes for rangatahi / young people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, so we're committed to helping educators learn more about this specific neurodisability.
We run quarterly webinars for the education sector with special presentations from FASD-informed experts. The group is named 'Ngā Tupu Rau' to symbolise weaving our knowledge together.
Upcoming webinarNTR Webinar: The Neurobiology of Overwhelm in Ākonga with FASD
When challenging behaviours arise in the classroom, our instinct is often to wonder, "Why is this student doing this to me?" In this one-hour interactive session, we shift that mindset entirely to ask: "What is happening with this learner’s nervous system?"
Designed specifically for educators, this practical, plain-English webinar unpacks the science behind dysregulation in ākonga with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
What we will explore:
• The Brain-Behaviour Link: Unpacking the direct physical connection between prenatal brain injury and externalised frustration responses.
• Neuroception and Interoception: How the body detects safety, threat, and internal cues—and why these sensory processes frequently trigger survival mode in neurodivergent learners.
• Brain Hierarchy and Te Whare o Oro: Applying layered models of regulation to better map where an ākonga is operating from neurologically.
• Trauma- and Neuro-Informed Responses: Discussion of practical classroom strategies to de-escalate survival responses and restore nervous-system safety.
Equip yourself with the tools to look past the behaviour, understand the biology, and support your ākonga with confidence and clarity.
* Please share this social media tile with others who may be interested: download the full-size version.
Fiona Harkness is a Practice Leader in the Tai Tokerau South RTLB Cluster. She has been an RTLB since 2005. Fiona developed an interest in FASD when struggling to support a student with FASD; this experience was the basis of her desire to become an RTLB. A focus of her work is to support RTLB and teaching staff to take a strengths-based approach, understanding that some students are having difficulty – not being difficult – and to have practical ways of working which promote genuinely inclusive classrooms.
Contact: [email protected]
Kim Milne is the Principal Advisor at FASD-CAN. She is responsible for the education activities of FASD-CAN and developed the successful FASD training course for educators, 'Kete into Practice'. Kim also brings lived experience to her mahi as the mother of a young adult with FASD.
Contact: [email protected]
Recordings of previous Ngā Tupu Rau webinars can be found on our training platform on this link ($10 each).
* PLEASE NOTE: In the interest of enabling as many educators as possible to become FASD-informed, we have removed the requirement of being a member of FASD-CAN to attend these free webinars, but we would love you to join us! It's quick and easy; your membership information helps us to tailor our training, and adding to our numbers may also help with funding. There is no requirement for other input, and you will receive just one newsletter per month.
