The FASD Success Show

"The End of a Chapter: Navigating Life After Loss" In this episode, I delve into the complicated and emotional process of moving forward after the loss of my sister.  As we navigate the loss of my sister's passing, I reflect on the ups and downs of grieving and how it has changed me. Join me as I share my experiences and the eulogy I never got to say.   In this episode it is you hel...

We are back! What a whirlwind the last couple of months has been! In this return episode, I let you know where we have been, what we have been doing, and what the future of the show is, but more importantly for right now for you I am giving a mini-coaching session all about how to navigate not only this season but anytime there is a holiday or shift in routine and structure. How are you holding up...

When Michelle and her husband adopted their son, they were told he may have issues in school due to international adoption-related issues – but no one mentioned FASD. Despite hitting all his early milestones, his challenges escalated as he got older. Their life was chaotic and stressful. They tried everything and saw all the professionals. Even the Occupational Therapist, who was on track with acc...

Anne and Jeff Munson are parents to four teenagers on the Spectrum. They were living in a hormone hurricane of constant dysregulation (theirs and the kids), police involvement, and challenges at school. Anne was talking back to her kids talking back to her and Jeff was trying to hold on and shore up the dam from bursting. They felt judged. They felt they were horrible parents. Their kids weren’t l...

Brad and Sara Evans went from a loud, outgoing family involved in their community, to question why they ever left the house. Everybody knew them and loved them. Until they adopted their young great-niece and nephew. They anticipated challenges, because of the children’s background, but because they didn’t know about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, they were not prepared for the challenges they fa...

In this episode of The FASD Success Show I am talk to entrepreneur, pizza store manager and now author – Kenny LaJoy about his recently released book: It’s OK to Be You. Living Well with FASD or Other Disabilities. We talk about his journey toward acceptance and how others can better live with disabilities. He shares his motivation for the book, as well as key advice he has for individuals and the...

Our first AMA episode (#112) was so successful I am back for Round 2 of the Q and Ehs! As with last time, I answer questions submitted by caregivers. And these six are real and raw. Please note: I am not a doctor, lawyer or social worker. I do have lived experience, education and have interviewed many individuals with FASD, researchers, professionals in the field and coached hundreds of families....

Have you heard the phrase, nothing about us without us? A lot of self-advocates use the phrase to remind us that we need to keep people with experience in the conversations. We’ve had quite a few individuals with FASD on the Show and I thought a great way to wrap up FASD Month was to hear from someone who openly shares her experience with many caregivers to help them understand their kids. Heather...

Caregivers ask me all the time … how can I teach my loved ones skills to soothe themselves, stop a meltdown, or regulate themselves. Understanding the sensory system is key to answering those questions and you can get some ideas on how to do that with my guest this week, Jessica Sinarski. We first met Jessica in episode #099, Insight on Trauma, Attachment, and Sensory Systems. She returns to talk...

It’s September 9 and that means it’s International FASD Awareness Day! In honour of that, we have a unique and special treat for you today! What started out as a quick promo video for a new song, turned into a BONUS podcast episode because it was so great! I am talking to Joanne Garofalo from Voice in a Million & FASD Hub Scotland and Darren Day, an actor and singer from the UK, about the rele...

Even if the school has started, there is still time to set the tone to help you and your child have the best year and relationship with school personnel. I brought this week’s guest back after seeing her last episode is in the top 7 downloads. This tells me you like what she is saying, and I know you will love her back-to-school tips! Danna is the Director of the Foothills Fetal Alcohol Society an...

One of my goals with The FASD Success Show podcast is to bring you a wide variety of guests, including those who are leading experts in the FASD community. Today’s guest, Audrey McFarlane, the Canada FASD Research Network Executive Director, is no exception. She returns to the Show for the third time and brings updates on research and some exciting announcements of interest to our listeners from a...

Today’s episode is a heavy topic that might make some people uncomfortable, but it is one that we should be prepared for – because it is inevitable at some point our children will be faced with a death – whether that is a pet, family member or friend. We reached out to Marj Wingrove who is a parent to an individual with FASD but also a Death Doula and producer and host of the Death Happens podcast...

Have you ever wished you could understand how your loved one experiences the world? What do they think about their disability and what do they want others to understand? Today’s guest is going to help us do that. Last year, Miranda Eodanable was on The FASD Success Show to talk about a Photovoice Research Project she was about to undertake, asking young people to document their experience in pictu...

It’s back-to-school season, and with that comes IEPs, IPRC, 504s, and education plans! If the terms or process are confusing and frustrating, we have covered you in this week’s podcast with Mark Courtepatte – one of the most popular Insider Experts in our CKS Coaching Program. But you don’t have to be in the program now to hear his expertise! We talk about how Mark met Savanna, his partner who has...

Tigger Warning: Incarceration, Suicide, Trauma, and Sexual Assault   This unique episode has some critical information about how systemic barriers and failures can result in adverse outcomes for individuals with FASD. We will leave the detail for the episode, but we want to give you a general idea about the content.  First up, I want to thank Shawn for being brave and vulnerable in sharing his sto...

When I ask caregivers what the one thing they’d like to change is – physical health is at the top of that list for many. That is why I invited Stephanie Burns onto the Show. Stephanie has a degree in Physical and Health Education and runs Burns Fitness. She and her husband have 4 kids, 2 with neurodiverse needs. On top of that, she undertook a program to lose 100 pounds and get fit. So she gets it...

If you’ve attended any of my presentations, taken my CKS Coaching Course or followed me for a while you will know one of my sayings is “I’m not a doctor, a lawyer or a social worker,” but my guest today is a social worker and she just happens to be my wife and business partner – Tara Soucie-Noble.   Tara does much of the behind-the-scenes work - with our daughter and our business - but she had a l...

Today’s show is a show of firsts. You will learn how Tristan and Scott Casson-Rennie first met, how they became the first same-sex couple to adopt through the agency they used, their trials and tribulations as they navigated parenthood with first a sibling group and then a third child added to the mix, how they created their first organization together called FASD Ireland, and what the first item...

You may have heard talk in the FASD world about a new documentary in the making, Embraced: Truth about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. I wanted to find out the details so invited the three principals on the project to talk about it.   Joel Sheagren is the Director with Jodee Kulp and Justen Overlander co-producing. Joel has a 30-year background in advertising and is a parent to a young man on the...

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...

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 epi...

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...

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 Ukra...

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, expectation...