The maiden and I went on a little road trip last week to pick up some rain gutters someone was giving away. I asked her to come along as I was going to have to the hatch open on the back of the car, with them hanging out, and I just wanted her to hang … Continue reading Connecting with Gutters
What a day September 9th - International FASD Awareness Day - was! While there is no possible way to report on everything, these are a few examples seen on social media of how the day was recognized.
by R.J. Formanek It's (almost) Wednesday, so it must be Wisdom Wednesday by R.J. He seems to write something at just about the right time. We are in the homestretch of the 99 Days to FASDay journey we started on June 1 with Day 1: 99 Days to FASDay: First Published Study Linking Prenatal Alcohol … Continue reading FASD: Reflections on Perspective and Empathy
I am not talking about what the acronym FASD means or even how it is caused, but going deeper into what it really means for Society. Most people see it as an alcohol and pregnancy issue - but it really goes beyond that. The Canada FASD Research Network released their 2020 FASD Awareness Month Toolkit … Continue reading What is FASD?
It’s strange and wonderful... even magical how the world works. After having a really defeating week last week, Monday arrived and the universe sent me a message to remind me that even in the middle of difficult times, if we remain open, we can find moments of magic to lift our spirits. This week is … Continue reading Our Magical Day
I found this Nelson Mandela quote from 1997. The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children. A year before my daughter was born. In her 22 years of life we still have quite a ways to go but even more so for people with disabilities. Many are still discriminated against, … Continue reading Mid-life Advocacy Crisis or Dark Night of the Soul
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
