I've been thinking about grief and loss for awhile now. We know many caregivers for individuals with FASD experience grief and loss. We hear others say, "Oh, that's grief and loss!" - but what do we really know about it? Most of the information available on grief and loss is about death. Or in relation … Continue reading FASD: Grief and Loss for Caregivers
According to Understanding the Occurrence of Secondary Disabilities with FAS and FAE Final Report (1996) 60% of students with FASD aged 12 or older have had a disrupted school experience. Despite 14 years since its release there are still educators and the system who do not understand FASD.
I recently saw the graphic below, of a sloth riding on a turtle’s back, saying “too fast”. I was going to share it on my Facebook page, with a short comment about how we may need to slow down in order to accommodate an individual with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Either in what we say, how … Continue reading FASD: Lessons in Processing Speed from the Turtle, Sloth and Snail
May 4 - 10, 2020 is CMHA Mental Health Week As we know, over 90% of individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder will also have a co-occurring mental health disorder. While the Canadian Mental Health Association campaign is a general mental health campaign, the Canada FASD Research Network has indicated it will be releasing information … Continue reading Mental Health Week, FASD and COVID-19
Written By R.J. Formanek - FASD Educator, Speaker Red Shoes Rock and Flying With Broken Wings Living on the FASD spectrum is much akin to the difference between a standard and an automatic transmission in vehicles. They both do basically the same thing, but each has to be considered, understood and operated differently. Yet you … Continue reading FASD: Presumption of Competence
According to Merriam-Webster: Definition of self-regulation the act or condition or an instance of regulating oneself or itself: such as; Self Regulation: the bringing of oneself or itself into a state of order, method, or uniformity emotional self-regulation. We know individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder often struggle with self-regulation, which can lead to many … Continue reading Self Regulation in FASD and me
As all the posts were appearing today, I couldn’t help but reflect on FASD and the continuing stigma and misunderstanding that not only my daughter faces but women caregivers and birth moms. There were posts that said women deserve to be recognized every day. Yes they do. But I also think having different ways to … Continue reading International Women’s Day and FASD
My diagnosis came at 47 after a lifetime of hit and miss, not really understanding people around me and considering myself as an alien in a strange land. I had a career, relationships, family of my own... but I kept ending up at a therapist trying vainly to understand. While I did do any number of things that … Continue reading The Monster Under the Bed (FASD)
I’m tired. No I’m more than tired. I’m exhausted. I’m depleted. No amount of self care (bubble baths, walks, therapy, lunch with friends, reading a book, etc.) is going to “fill my cup” and bring me back to where I need to be. I’m not alone. Many people are. Those who are caring for individuals with … Continue reading What happens when no one cares for the caregiver
In an effort to improve outcomes for those with FASD and ADHD, Dr. J. Kapalanga, Principal Investigator with Grey Bruce Health Services (Ontario) and Western University is calling for assistance in the study of clinical and genetic links between FASD and ADHD. This study will examine the clinical and genetic links between FASD and ADHD. … Continue reading Participants Required (Ontario) for FASD / ADHD Study
