£50,000 donation to help university investigate support for children with neurodevelopmental condition

FASD is a range of lifelong disabilities caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. It includes physical, mental, behavioural and learning impairments and often causes difficulties with speech, language, memory, attention, planning and decision-making. 

The University of Salford is a leading centre of expertise on FASD, with the largest research team in the UK dedicated to the topic.

This funding will support a study of ‘The Animation Curriculum’, a strengths based, multi-sensory educational intervention, which was originally designed as an inclusive approach to learning for those with suspected or diagnosed FASD in mainstream classroom settings. 

It offers a framework through which educators can deliver curriculum content, which not only supports the needs of those with FASD, but highlights their strengths amongst their peers. 

Developed through over a decade of research and lived experience by Dr Jessica Rutherford, this study will see The Animation Curriculum delivered to a class of Year 3 - 4 students in which at least one student (who will remain anonymous throughout) has diagnosed or suspected FASD. 

Dr Alan Price, Lecturer in Psychology at the university, said: “Many children with FASD are either misdiagnosed or do not receive a formal diagnosis, and so do not receive the support they need. As a consequence, they are at increased risk of having a disrupted education and coming into contact with children’s services and the criminal justice system.

“This project will help us to understand the practicalities of how The Animation Curriculum could work in a classroom environment to hopefully benefit all pupils, whether they have a formal diagnosis of FASD or not. Student engagement will be measured and analysed throughout and we will work closely with educators to understand the impact.”

Dr Surya Mohapatra of The Mohapatra Family Foundation is an alumnus of the University of Salford and has held senior leadership positions in the health care industry for more than 35 years. 

He said: The Mohapatra Family Foundation are delighted to be supporting this novel intervention within schools for young people with FASD and other neurodivergent behaviours. We recognise how severely underfunded research into FASD is, and I am proud that my alma mater is leading the way in advancing awareness and understanding of this critical area. We are pleased to play a role in supporting the proof-of-concept stage for The Animation Curriculum, and we look forward to seeing how this intervention can be scaled further.”