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Another first for The FASD Success Show – You Asked and Jeff Answers! I contacted caregivers in our private Facebook Group and Email Newsletter to find out what questions they wanted answers to. I received so many that I couldn’t decide which to feature, so I randomly picked eight and will save the rest for a future episode.  

It’s important to recognize I am not a doctor, lawyer, or social worker. I have lived experience, and education, and have interviewed many individuals with FASD, researchers, and professionals in the field, and coached hundreds of families. I like to say, you are the expert on your child, I’m an advisor.  

In this episode you will find out more information on the importance of a diagnosis, neurofeedback, my top 2 takeaways from interviewing adults on the Spectrum and why understanding FASD as a Spectrum is important, toileting, swearing, plans for workshops or gatherings, survivor guilt for siblings, and regression in young adults. 

So grab a pen and paper, get comfy, and get some answers. Thank you to everyone who sent in the questions. Let me know if you like this format. Cause if you do, we will definitely do it again. 

Show Notes: 

Check out our blog for all the links at FASD Success 

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Have you ever wanted to share your story and experience with the world? Let others in on your lessons learned and hope they find comfort knowing they aren’t alone in their journey? That’s exactly what my guest, Jillana Goble has done – for a second time, with her new book: A Love Stretched Life, Stories on Wrangling Hope, Embracing the Unexpected and Discovering the Meaning of Family. 

In this episode, Jillana reflects on her journey to fostering, and what she learned along the way, including the difference between how children are presented in the foster system versus the reality and how shifting their expectations allowed them to thrive, survive and grow as a family.   

We wrap up talking about the critical conversations and shift in mindset she feels needs to happen in the foster care system to better prepare foster and adoptive parents, along with her best advice for prospective and adoptive parents. We also touch on how she self-regulates and why she stays off social media. 

Jillana has crafted a collection of personal stories that will serve as a guidepost for caregivers who need to navigate the often-tumultuous terrain of fostering, adoption, and raising a neurodiverse child in a world that doesn’t quite understand.  

Show Notes: 

Check out our blog for all the links at FASD Success 

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Aggression is one of the biggest concerns I hear from caregivers. Why does it happen, how to respond and how to manage or stop it.   

It is such a concern that researchers have noticed and are now looking at it in more detail. In this episode, I talk to Dr. Jacqueline Pei, Dr. Mansfield Mela, and Jessica Joseph about their recently published paper: Aggressive behavior and violence in children and adolescents with FASD: A synthesizing review. 

Behaviour, including aggression, is communication. This paper will give you some starting points to look at what might be driving that behavior. Kids are not getting up in the morning saying they want to be an a**hole. Our job is to figure out what is going on and how we can respond with more understanding and bring professionals on board to help. 

For more information and a link to the Review, check out our blog post (link in Show Notes). 

Show Notes: 

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Life as an FASD Caregiver is challenging enough – but what about when you have to leave everything you have ever known, first to seek immediate safety, then as a refugee to another country and then apply as a refugee yet again – all in the space of three months, while raising two daughters, one with FASD. 

We first met Olga and Serhii Bolshova, a family I interviewed days after Russia invaded Ukraine in Episode 97:  Olga and Serhii: An FASD Family on the Front Lines in Ukraine. Olga is an alumnus of our CKS! Caregiver Kick-start Coaching Program and was beginning her journey to help build an FASD community in her homeland when war was declared. You may remember on the night they were to flee from their home, Olga had Serhii and the girls waiting in the car as she wrapped up an FASD training session on Zoom!  

It’s been a few months and their adventures continue. Many of you wondered how they are, so once I found out they were in Ontario, I knew I had to take a drive down to see them.  

Check out the episode to find out about life in a refugee camp in Poland, how they have been welcomed into Canada and what their next steps are. 

Show Notes: 

Check out our blog for all the links at FASD Success 

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In Part 1 of my conversation with Jessica Birch, an FASD advocate and adult on the Spectrum, we covered her advocacy and journey to get a diagnosis. In Part 2 we talk about life after the diagnosis. She gives us insight on how she copes with her symptoms and what you can do as a caregiver to help your loved ones. 

In Part 2 we cover: 

• interdependence, impulsivity, emotional regulation, expectations 
• struggles to be taken seriously as an advocate and be accommodated 
• importance of a diagnosis and consequences of not getting one 

I want to thank Jessica for her honesty and openness in sharing her story. I hope that by listening to this episode, your learning curve will be lessened, you can build deeper relationships with your kids and see a hopeful future. But more importantly, understand that FASD doesn’t define a person.  

With individuals like Jessica speaking up, and those who support and advocate alongside us, we are raising the voices and awareness. Change is coming. 

Show Notes: 

Check out our blog for all the links at FASD Success 

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Imagine feeling like the world doesn’t want you. No matter what you do, or try, no one wants to be your friend. You are misunderstood and dismissed by medical professionals. You are hurting so much physically and emotionally that you start to think you no longer want to live. That is the dark place my guest, Jessica Birch, found herself in before receiving her FASD diagnosis. 

If you have ever wished your child could tell you how they feel, then this is the episode for you. If you are an individual with FASD needing to hear from others with FASD, this is the episode for you. There is so much to Jessica’s story I wanted to give it the space it deserved to be shared, so we are splitting it into two Parts.  

In Part One, we explore what it was like growing up undiagnosed. Despite having a supportive mom, she shares what life was like without a diagnosis, as a child, and teen and what happened when she tried to make it on her own.  

This may be a difficult episode to listen to because of the intensity. But I think it offers inspiration because we know that with the diagnosis, support, knowledge and understanding, Jessica is thriving. And that is what we will talk about in Part 2.

Show Notes: 

Check out our blog for all the links at FASD Success 

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Would you agree the best learning comes from caregivers who have walked the FASD journey? Today, I’m talking with Judy Pakozdy, who has 45 years’ worth of FASD knowledge, training, and caregiving experience.  

Judy was a pediatric head nurse in Whitehorse (Yukon, Canada), a founding member of the FAS Society of Yukon, and served as its Executive Director for 12 years. She is also a mom to Matthew, an adult with FASD. 

In this episode, I talk to Judy about the journey she and Matthew have been on, her thoughts on where FASD is now, where it should be and we do a step by step review of a poster she and Matthew just created called: Reminders for Parents/Caregivers and People with FASD and other Neuro Development Disabilities. 

Make sure to check out our blog (link in the Show Notes) to hear the podcast I did with Matthew and download a copy of their poster. 

Show Notes: 

Check out our blog for all the links at FASD Success 

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Today’s show is an inspirational story of what determination, advocacy and drive can achieve! It is the story of Maryelen Mcphail, a foster and adoptive mom and her daughter Paula, co-founders of Oshay’s, an FASD organization, in Scotland.   

You will hear their journey to getting a diagnosis and the roadblocks they encountered before and after from their unique perspective as mom and daughter. We also find out how they used those blocks as stepping stones to help others. 

What started as home-based advocacy has turned into a charity and a Center to help other families in Scotland with programs and supports. 

Make sure you stay tuned to the end you to hear my surprise and delight that we share a favourite activity, which not only provides bonding time for them as a family, but also provides regulation for both kids and adults!  

Don’t forget to visit our blog (link in Show Notes) for links to connect with Oshay’s. 

Show Notes: 

Check out our blog for all the links at FASD Success 

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We know prenatal alcohol exposure is a risk factor for FASD. We have studies on high levels of prenatal alcohol exposure - but what about low levels? Up until now, we have not had a study to share showing how low levels of prenatal alcohol exposure can affect the brain and behaviour. 

My guest today, Dr. Catherine Lebel, is going to talk about a recently released study that examined altered brain structure and function in children with low levels of PAE. And don't worry, we break it all down so you can understand the information to use in your advocacy. We have the who, what, where  why and how:

• Who and how many the study involved?
• Why this study is needed.
• What the study examined and what the results were.
• Where this will lead us.
• How you can use this information in your advocacy.

Dr. Lebel also updates us on her FASD and Mental Health research project. You can check out a previous podcast we did on this: MRIs and the FASD Brain with Dr. Catherine Lebel. They still need participants, so check out the Show Notes for a link to our blog.

This is really exciting and groundbreaking research. We now have some science to back up what we are saying. I also asked Dr. Lebel what motivates her to keep going – and one of the things is YOU , the CAREGIVERS! So, keep advocating and keep involved. You are part of the change we are seeing.

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This is an interesting and inspirational episode with my good friend Jeremy Elliott and his godson William. It is a unique tale of how a family bond, love of sports, and a mentoring mindset, made a positive difference in the life of an individual with FASD.  

Jeremy is a martial arts champion and owns United Family Marshal Arts in Niagara Falls (Ontario, Canada). He is also a pro wrestler. In fact, Pro Wrestling Insider has listed him as one of the Top 500.  

We talk about Jeremy’s journey growing up with a single mom who inspired him to follow his dreams and in turn help others. We talk about his success in and outside of the ring, including how he has advocated and supported William throughout the years and his new focus: to raise broader FASD awareness using red wrestling boots and launching the Embrace our Journey campaign.   

William shares his perspective on growing up with FASD and how sports have helped him. Just as Jeremy was inspired by the Karate Kid, William has his own inspiration for finding his first passion (football) after a chance meeting with Jamal Campbell. He told him, “I’m going to be a lineman-like you.”  

This is a great story of overcoming odds and dedication to passion. To how finding and nurturing strengths can help individuals with FASD grow and thrive. This is a journey of understanding, compassion, resilience, and embracing the journey. I can’t wait to see where these two go next. I may not be on the road with them, but I will be getting the t-shirt. If you want to follow them, or get the t-shirt, check out the Show Notes for a link to our blog. 

Show Notes: 

Check out our blog for all the links at FASD Success 

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