FAS

Does FASD Result in Shortened Life Span

Submitted by JuliaFuller on Sat, 02/27/2010 - 01:02

 

An interesting discussion about FASD affecting life insurance acceptance has been ongoing for several days at the Michigan FASD Yahoo Group. Apparently, one adoptive parent honestly reported that her adopted daughter had FASD on the life insurance application. So far, two insurers have denied her coverage based on the FASD diagnosis. Frankly, it never occurred to me to put FASD on a life insurance application. Because there are no specific medical treatments for FASD since there are so many possible symptoms, effects, and characteristics. Instead each person’s symptoms are treated as needed. However, one member then shared that those with classic FAS may be more prone to types of cancer.

Cause and Effect Training

Submitted by JuliaFuller on Sun, 02/21/2010 - 22:37

 

Unfortunately, the cause and effect relationship does not come naturally to the child harmed by exposure to alcohol before birth. For these children, lessons are repeated hundreds of times, with similar outcomes. Learning can be slow and frustrating for everyone involved, including the child. To help our FAS children make the connection between cause and effect, we need to allow them to make mistakes, fail when applicable, and then live with the consequences of their choices. When a poor choice requires discipline we should choose something that seems like a logical consequence of the action to reinforce the cause and effect training. Of course, after the hundredth time of assigning the same consequence to the same child, year after year, we may find ourselves getting quite angry. Thus, I began my quest to find logical consequences that teach the cause and effect relationship, and also amuse me.

Dear Adoption Maharishi: What Are Some Effective Strategies to Help School Age Encopresis?

Submitted by Adoption_Maharishi on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 01:24

 

 

Dear Adoption Maharishi,

 

We have a student who has encopresis and RAD. What are some effective strategies we can use to help this 10 year old boy reduce these incidents?

 

Signed,

Evansb

 

Dear Evansb,

Congratulations on your steadfast commitment to this 10-year-old child with severe emotional issues. Many caretakers are unable to deal with an older child struggling with encopresis over the long-term. Because of the odor, shock, disgust, and continuously replacing soiled clothing that either will not come clean or refuse to give up their odor. Some children with encopresis issues also paint feces on the wall, rub their poop into carpets, and refuse to clean themselves appropriately afterward soiling undergarments. These children may also place soiled garments into the laundry hamper without rinsing them or disposing of the bowel movement creating a bigger mess by soiling the entire load of laundry. Continuing this behavior problem, especially at school will result in lost, or non-existent friendships, name calling, low self-esteem, shame, guilt, and lost learning time.

How Could You Exclude One Child From Christmas Presents?

Submitted by JuliaFuller on Sun, 12/27/2009 - 22:27

I am expecting an attack from those of you not parenting PTSD, RAD, FAS or other traumatized children for sharing that I excluded one child from Christmas presents. I feel compelled to share because I know others are suffering from their own personal guilt in silence for excluding one child from Christmas presents. Note that this article is not geared towards families who do not celebrate Christmas. Instead, it is to those who do celebrate Christmas but choose not to give presents to one naughty child. A child new to the home is always given a Mulligan and receives presents no matter what. However, our daughter is 16 and came home shortly before her fourth birthday. She knows the rules, she knows what she should and should not do, and chooses to do the opposite.

Government Provides Funds and Laws for Disabilities Not Differences

Submitted by FosterMommy on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 18:03

The book pictured, “On Their Own.” was written by Anne Ford, to help others parenting special needs children through adulthood. Anne Ford shares what she learned over the years raising her daughter who was diagnosed with disabilities as a toddler. Fortunately we can avoid some of the trials and errors she experienced over the years by reading her book, and doing our own research on the internet. Anne makes a very important point/distinction in her book. Those trying to use politically correct language and some educational specialist want to change the term “learning disabilities” to “learning differences.” The main reason according to Anne is that the word “disabilities” brings to mind flaws, whereas “differences” imply a different style of learning.

Take Her to Your House if You Disagree With My Parenting

Submitted by JuliaFuller on Sat, 12/05/2009 - 21:03

poop prints on the plaster wall

 If you do not agree with the way I parent my FASD and LD teenager then please, take her home with you. I cannot guess at the number of times people have talked behind my back and to my face about the way I parent my daughter. She came to us as a preschooler already traumatized, exposed to alcohol both before her birth and after, with a cognitively impaired diagnosis. You could not understand a word she said, she could not run, jump, use a toilet, or sit still. She stole, lied, acted inappropriately, and had poor (nonexistent) boundaries. Like so many hopeful/naïve adoptive parents, we thought she would grow out of those behaviors like other children normally do. We thought we could help her. We did help her, she now has an average IQ, however she did not grow out of lying and stealing. I am not alone in being judged by others for my parenting techniques, I have several good friends who are hurting right now.

Does My FAS Child Have Dyspraxia?

Submitted by JuliaFuller on Wed, 11/25/2009 - 00:00

 

Over the years, I have questioned whether my FAS daughter has Developmental Apraxia of Speech, Verbal Apraxia, Dysarthria, Severe Phonological Disorder, or Dyspraxia. These disorders are neurological in origin possibly caused by a temporary oxygen deficiency, trauma before or during birth, head trauma, or other related cause. Conversations with my daughter are frustrating for me, possibly for both of us. Reading her personal notes as well as written assignments for school can be frustrating and amusing. Her speech problems include problems with enunciation, sentence structure, using proper endings on verbs, and excluding necessary words.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diaries: Resources for Getting a FAS Diagnosis in Michigan

Submitted by JuliaFuller on Mon, 10/26/2009 - 13:51

Here is a very useful list of resources for getting a FAS diagnosis in Michigan. When I saw this list on a Yahoo group for families parenting FAS children, I felt compelled to share it with you. There is a link provided for those who are not in Michigan to find resources as well. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between "normal" age appropriate behaviors and institutional, FAS, or some undiagnosed condition behaviors. But When it comes to parenting FAS children, we need all the help we can get.

Diagnosis of FAS Children' s Hospital of Michigan, Department of Genetics

3901 Beaubien

Detroit, MI 48201

Phone: 313-993-3891

Contact: Ellen Podeszwa, Coordinator

 

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diaries: Physical Maturity Does Not Always Equal Increasing Responsibility

Submitted by JuliaFuller on Wed, 09/23/2009 - 18:35

Some friends found 12 boxes of old books that someone had dropped off at the local recycling center. They were allowed to take the ones they wanted, and lovingly searched through a box for my family. I began reading a book by Charles R. Swindoll titled “Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back, Persevering Through Pressure.” The title reminded me of the dilemma many of us face parenting our FAS children, except maybe the other way around. Just when I think I am making some progress with my nearly 16-year-old daughter, she seems to regress further than before. A paragraph in the first chapter seemed to crystallize the basis of my frustration in parenting my daughter afflicted with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Parenting Mistakes Saturday – Expecting Age Appropriate Behavior

Submitted by JuliaFuller on Sat, 09/12/2009 - 21:58

I have a daughter turning sixteen, who also has FAS, ADD, Bi-polar, and possibly Asperger syndrome. She came to live with our family just before her fourth birthday the first time. Then returned just before her fifth birthday and we adopted her when she was six. At the time, professionals told us she was mildly retarded with an IQ in the high 60s. I suffered from “My love can fix her” syndrome. Actually, a lot of special services, and one-on-one tutoring paid off in many ways. Today, she tests with an IQ of about 90. She dresses and looks age appropriate. However, many of her behaviors as well as her learning style are not age appropriate. In fact, some of her behaviors are equivalent to her 3-year-old sister. However, I find myself expecting more age appropriate behavior from her and getting really frustrated when she fails my expectations.