Education
Ed Code 56332
What is EC 56332?
Effective January 2023, Senate Bill 1016 was signed into law in the state of California. This new law, called EC 56332, now includes Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) under the Other Health Impairment (OHI) category.
Why does it matter?
If a child has been prenatally exposed to alcohol or is suspected of having been prenatally exposed to alcohol and needs special education services, they may qualify for an IEP under Other Health Impairment. Standard assessments and observations are still necessary to determine if a student meets the requirements for special education services.
It is critical for the IEP team to be FASD-informed in order to ensure appropriate assessments and interventions are provided. Without this understanding, FASD symptoms are often misinterpreted as behavioral or mental health issues, which may result in inappropriate recommendations and increase the possibility of negative outcomes.
What do I do now?
Disclosing prenatal alcohol exposure to the IEP team and health care providers plays a critical role in a child receiving appropriate assessments and interventions.
Providing appropriate supports and services can lessen teacher frustration and lay the foundation for student success.
Request your IEP team is trained on FASD.
Educator Information Sheets
Of the 6 million children in California Schools, as many as 300,000 may have FASD