The FASD Success Show

Are you a homeschooler? Ever thought about homeschooling? What about after school is finished? Have you thought about what the future holds for your kids/teens/adults? This episode covers homeschool and launching or transitioning our kids into adulthood. Natalie Vecchione and Cindy LaJoy are both homeschool moms, who realized their teens, with FASD, needed alternative homeschool paths for meaningf...

Do you often feel alone as a caregiver? Like you are hitting a brick wall or blowing into the wind? Especially when trying to build your team and get professionals on board?  In this episode, you will hear that sometimes it is the same for professionals. The last time I spoke to today’s guest, Dr. Raja Mukherjee, was five years ago.  There was next to nothing for FASD in the United Kingdom. He sta...

I am super stoked to have my very first guest – Audrey McFarlane, the Executive Director of the Canada FASD Research Network – return for an update. We talk about international activities as well as get the scoop on what is happening at CanFASD. Even if you aren’t Canadian, much of the information we talk about can apply and help you as caregivers and advocates no matter where you live.  We talk a...

This summer a 19-year-old college student biked 4,300 miles across America. You may have heard about Emmaus Holder and his FASD Across America tour. Although his journey was solo, he met people along the way – people who knew about FASD and people who didn’t. He spent time chatting with them at gas stations or as an overnight guest in families’ homes. I was asked to interview him along the way, bu...

Do you belong to a caregiver group on Facebook? How about our group: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Caregiver Success Support Group. If you do, you will know the four guests today – Laurie Anderson, Alex Duthie, Heather Flynn and Debbie Raymond. Our Group Moderators. I thought it might be fun to have a group chat.   Today you will find out why they joined the group, who they support, what...

Today I chat with my good friend, and Caregiver Kickstart Coaching program alumni, Christine and her daughter Angelina. Not only has their relationship improved in the last year, since getting real about FASD, and working through their grief and loss, they have emerged the other side and are kicking some advocacy ass right now in their home state of Kansas.  Christine Bofenkamp is a freelance grap...

Have you seen the memes pairing motherhood and alcohol? With phrases like: Some people need a special occasion to have wine. I just needed to have a kid.   What wine pairs well with my kids driving me absolutely insane?  Mom tip: When they start to whine, open the bottle of wine.  Since FAS was first named in 1973 there have been ongoing efforts directed at prevention. While turning to alcohol to...

Are you like our guest today – riding the bus of denial? Knowing your loved one has FASD but then doubting the diagnosis or thinking it is something else when they “seem” to be functioning as a neurotypical. It can be an exhausting journey. But if you want to learn how to get off that bus, and find success, join Patti Crouch and me.  Patti is the adoptive mother of three children.  When she can, s...

I am often asked in my private caregiver group, what kind of therapies work for FASD. Today we talk about that, in particular about Emotional Regulation, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and substance use treatment programs. Today’s episode will give you hope, inspiration and acknowledgement as a caregiver or individual with FASD. Your voices are heard. Your opinions and experiences matter. Rse...

I’ve followed today’s guest on Twitter for a long time so was honoured when she agreed to come on the podcast and talk about what she is up to in Rochester, NY – and it is a lot!   Christie Petrenko, Ph. D. is a clinical psychologist and researcher who has been conducting research with individuals with FASD since 2003. She completed her graduate training in San Diego in 2009 and is currently a fac...

My good friend Aliy Brown from FASD Hub Scotland reached out to let me know about some interesting research going on right now in Scotland with young people with FASD. And while it may not apply to where you live, I believe we learn from each other and can be inspired to bring this type of research into our own communities. We do talk about the school system and educational assessments and interve...

How do I keep my child/teen/adult safe online is a frequent question I get from caregivers. In fact, just a couple of days ago in our private Facebook Caregiver group, someone asked that very question.  Caregivers responded with everything from, we never allow access, lock it up, only supervised use, to parental controls. I get it. We want to keep our kids safe. And for some this may still be the...

We know our active audience has a higher percentage of moms over dads … but we know the dads are out there. Whether they are in the main caregiving role or behind the scenes with their partner, dads or male influences are an important part of the caregiving journey for many families. That’s why I’m super stoked to have my next guest Bill Michaud talk about his FASD journey. And it just happens to...

Today’s guest is a little bit different from the others. Her specialty is an area caregivers ask a lot of questions about (eating, food and therapy). Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of specific FASD knowledge about treatment. When we discovered Dr. Federici through a webinar on eating disorders and saw the intersection between FASD and Eating Disorders was so great, we knew we had to get her on t...

Anyone that has followed me for a while knows about Amanda Burley – Amanda and her family were the first family I coached after graduating from the FASD Program at the Toronto CAS Child Welfare Institute. Both Tara and I have had the privilege and the honour to become friends with her and her family. I love sharing updates for caregivers so they can follow her journey.   “I am here for a reason. I...

Today I am stoked to have a returning guest, Dr. Catherine Lebel. We get down to science today. But don't worry, I help make this accessible.  We are talking about a recent FASD research paper she wrote and a current study she is working on. Catherine Lebel, PhD is a Principal Investigator,  and Associate Professor | Department of Radiology | University of Calgary "My research uses magne...

The episode this week is a chat with three cool and awesome advocates who are doing great things for caregivers and individuals with FASD. It may be in my home province of Ontario, but what they have to say and are doing can inspire and help where you are.  Today I’m talking to Sharron Richards, Mary Hutchings and Mary Ann Bunkowsky about social work, advocating for system change, building support...

Language Warning  Imagine living five decades thinking you didn’t fit in, but not quite sure why? Despite having a high IQ, you feel like you are a ‘problem child’ because of your behaviours. Today I talk to an adult on the spectrum:  a storyteller. He weaves stories through his words, music, and photography. He is a super cool dude, and I can’t wait for you to hear about him and his outlook.  As...

What do you think prevents people from getting the message about no safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy? Do you think it is even possible to prevent FASD? Why do we support individuals with FASD but not moms? What about messages geared only to women? These are questions I get answers to with today’s guest, Dr. Nancy Poole, who talks about the 4 Part FASD Prevention Model she was part of develo...

In the 1996 landmark study by Dr. Anne Streissguth, it was revealed that up to 60% of individuals with FASD will have contact with the justice system. Youth are 19x more likely to be incarcerated compared to youth without FASD. In Canada, justice-related costs are among the highest FASD associated costs. While not everyone with FASD will be involved, it is a significant number. Today I talk to two...

It isn’t too often we find someone who has Prenatal Alcohol Exposure covered from all angles, but today’s guest certainly does. She is an individual with FASD, a caregiver for individuals with FASD and a professional who works with individuals with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. This episode is a 10 timer – there is so much incredible information from different perspectives you are going to want to ke...

Weaving FASD Stories, Science and Research  When you think of media coverage for FASD what stories immediately come to your mind? Is it a respectful and honest piece or is it stereotypical and sensationalized? Do you know how feature stories are pitched, decided, and developed?   In April 2018, an in-depth feature on FASD appeared in one of our National newspapers. A year later three more features...

A couple of weeks ago CanFASD shared a letter written to a teacher by a student with FASD. I had already reached out to Shana Mohr to interview her, as the Training Coordinator for the FASD Network in Saskatchewan, but was stoked to find out it was her daughter that wrote the letter!  Shana has trained hundreds of professionals, caregivers, and individuals with intellectual disabilities about the...

Like a few of the guests I have interviewed for the FASD Success Show, our professional lives have intersected at various points. I first met Nancy Lockwood eight years ago when I was invited to present at the Ottawa FASD Caregiver Group. A lot has changed in the last eight years.  Nancy has been living and working in the FASD world for a lot more than eight years however – it has been over 25 yea...

Have you ever met a doctor, social worker, therapist who just didn’t understand Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder? Have you walked out of the appointment thinking, “If only they could just get it? What can I do to help them get it?” Today, I have answers for you.    I am “geeking out” big time with one of our most popular FASD Success Show guests, Dr. Mansfield Mela about his new book: Prenatal Alco...