Podcasts about fetal alcohol syndrome fas

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10   Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you to care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.   On this FASD Awareness Month episode host Sandra Flach talks with FASD self-advocate, Emily Hargrove. Emily was adopted as a baby and diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) at age one.    Today Emily is a wife, mom, and has a Bachelor's in Psychology and Counseling and a minor in Christian Ministries (B.S.), holds a Master's of Philosophy in Psychology (M.Phil.), and presently, is a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (Ph.D.) candidate with a dissertation focus on FASD and spiritual development. She and her husband are youth pastors at their church in Kentucky.   Listen in as Sandra talks with Emily about her life experience with FAS and how she navigates every day life as a wife and mom with the invisible disability.    Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media. Links mentioned in this episode: sandraflach.com justicefororphansny.org runfasd.org FASCETS.org FASD Change Makers

FASD Hope is a podcast about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), through he lens of parent advocates with over twenty years of lived experience.  Episode 151 is airing on September 9th - International FASD Awareness Day titled "FASD at 50" with Dr. Kenneth Lyons Jones and Andrea "Andy" Torzon, LMFT of the University of California San Diego School of Medicine's Institute for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Discovery. This important episode highlights returning guest, Dr. Kenneth Lyons Jones, who is considered the leading expert in FASD and who was one of two doctors at the University of Washington, who first identified Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in the United States in early 1973. Dr. Jones is joined by Andrea Torzon, LMFT, a family therapist who works with Dr. Jones at the UC San Diego's Institute for FASD Discovery. As the 50 year anniversary of the first identification of FAS approaches, this special episode is titled "FASD at 50" and shares highlights from Dr. Jones' Keynote presentation "FASD at 50" from NOFASD Australia's "The FASD Forum '22 Virtual Conference". In addition to Dr. Jones' highlights from this important presentation, Andrea "Andy" Torzon shares her work and professional perspective of working with families at the UC San Diego Institute for FASD Discovery and through her nonprofit organization "Twinkle, Twinkle LIttle Farm".  Together, Dr. Jones and Andy discuss the following topics: the stigma that continues to surround FASD 50 years after the identification of FAS, the "4 Critical Issues" in understanding and moving forward in the FASD community, the importance of reframing wording and discussions to reduce stigma associated with FASD,  the importance of establishing FASD Centers of Excellence in each state and their words of hope and encouragement.   EPISODE RESOURCES - Dr. Kenneth Lyons Jones -https://www.rchsd.org/doctors/kenneth-lyons-jones-md/ https://betterbeginnings.org/who-we-are/leadership/ https://betterbeginnings.org/who-we-are/leadership/dr-kenneth-lyons-jones-md/ https://medschool.ucsd.edu/som/pediatrics/Divisions/dysmorphology/about/Pages/Dysmorphology_Teratology_Division_Members.aspx https://pediatrics.med.ubc.ca/2018/03/20/a-retrospective-look-at-43-years-of-fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder-fasd-how-did-we-get-here-from-where-we-started/ https://www.facebook.com/UCSDcbb/ https://twitter.com/ucsdcbb https://www.instagram.com/ucsdcbb/ Andrea "Andy" Torzon - https://betterbeginnings.org/what-we-do/patient-care/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder-clinic/programs/ Twinkle, Twinkle Little Farm Nonprofit - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-andy-torzon-576b2283/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/twinkletwinklelittlefarm Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/twinkletwinklelittlefarm/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNPSUMYBTDDObZvdXhZ_mdQ   FASD Hope - https://www.fasdhope.com/ natalie@fasdhope.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fasdhope/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fasdhope1 Twitter - https://twitter.com/fasdhope LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-vecchione-17212160/ Racket - @fasdhope Clubhouse - @natalievecc Check out our  book “Blazing New Homeschool Trails: Educating and Launching Teens with Developmental Disabilities” by Natalie Vecchione & Cindy LaJoy  BUY IT NOW!

Welcome to Season 3 of the FASD Family Life Podcast. I am your host, Robbie Seale. I am an FASD educator, advocate and mom of five incredible people; including three teens diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. If my 30 years of parenting has taught me anything it is that the struggle is real and so is success.This third season of the FASD Family Life podcast is a lot of fun. It's called MomTalk. I invited other mom's raising children and youth with FASD to join me for a coffee and a chat about real life, real struggles and real successes. It is my hope that by listening to our conversations you have the sense that you are not alone; we all get things wrong and we find that when we know better we can do better.SUBSCRIBE NOW so you never miss an episode of FASD Family Life.Please join me and my special guests, Kristin Eriksen and Laura Bedard for a nice hot cup of coffee as we talk about adoption, REAL LIFE raising children and teens with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, diagnosis, support groups, advocacy and their joint venture as founders of MassFas.MassFAS serves as a centralized resource for issues related to FASD in Massachusetts. At massFAS we:Develop and build an FASD Task Force.Provide FASD trainings upon request to a variety of state and local organizations including schools.Provide diagnostic and intervention resources to families of children and young adults who may have a FASD.Build FASD diagnostic capacity with Boston Children's Hospital; maintain a list of other in-state resources.Provide FASD prevention, identification, and intervention training and resources to DPH/BSAS licensed ambulatory and residential treatment programs. ‍We offer resources and a free weekly online support group for parents and caregivers. Contact us for more information. WANT TO MEET OTHER PARENTS RAISING KIDS WITH FASD?Subscribe to the FASD Family Life Community for only $10 / monthYou will be invited to join our monthly online support group on Microsoft Teams.Our support group is a fun, lively place to connect with other parents who get it. We have group members from around the world.SIGN UP TODAY to be part of our next meetinghttps://www.fasdfamilylife.caor message me on facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/robbie.seale.1EPISODE RESOURCES:mASSfas: https://www.massfas.org/FASD United: https://fasdunited.org/Boston Children's Hospital:  Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) (childrenshospital.org)The Brenner Centre (FASD Diadnositic Centre): https://www.williamjames.edu/centers-and-services/forensic-and-clinical-services/brenner-center/specialized-assessment-of-fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorders.htmlPLEASE SHARE THIS EPISODE WITH YOUR NETWORK.Support the show

FASD Hope is a podcast about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), through the lens of parent advocates with over nineteen years of lived experience.   Welcome to the Season 2 Premiere Episode!  FASD Hope is honored to feature Dr. Kenneth Lyons Jones. Dr. Kenneth Jones is the Chief of the Division of Dysmorphology and Teratology at the Department of Pediatrics at UCSD, Medical Director of the MotherToBaby California Pregnancy Health Information Line and Co-Director of the Center for Better Beginnings. He is a pediatrician by training, specializing in the identification and treatment of birth defects. He is actively involved in research, teaching, clinical work, university and public service. Dr. Jones is considered the leading expert of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), one of the diagnoses under the FASD umbrella. Dr. Jones was one of two doctors at the University of Washington, who first identified Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in the United States in 1973. Dr. Jones' research has focused on the evaluation and diagnosis of birth defects, identifying the mechanisms of normal and abnormal fetal development and the recognition of new environmental agents that cause birth defects. His work on the recognition of new human teratogens is primarily focused through MotherToBaby California, a counseling and research program funded in part by the state of California and monies received from the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) as a part of a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Jones has authored over 400 publications in scientific journals as well as several books and he is the author of the textbook titled "Smith's Recognizable Patterns of Human Malformation." This is an episode that the listener can glean SO MUCH INFORMATION!  Among the many topics discussed in this information-filled episode include: Dr. Jones' career, stigma, his work, goals for 2022 and answering listeners' questions.   EPISODE RESOURCES - Dr. Kenneth Lyons Jones - https://www.rchsd.org/doctors/kenneth-lyons-jones-md/ https://betterbeginnings.org/who-we-are/leadership/ https://betterbeginnings.org/who-we-are/leadership/dr-kenneth-lyons-jones-md/ https://medschool.ucsd.edu/som/pediatrics/Divisions/dysmorphology/about/Pages/Dysmorphology_Teratology_Division_Members.aspx https://pediatrics.med.ubc.ca/2018/03/20/a-retrospective-look-at-43-years-of-fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder-fasd-how-did-we-get-here-from-where-we-started/ https://www.facebook.com/UCSDcbb/ https://twitter.com/ucsdcbb https://www.instagram.com/ucsdcbb/   FASD Hope Resources - FASD Hope - https://www.fasdhope.com/ natalie@fasdhope.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fasdhope/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fasdhope1 Twitter - https://twitter.com/fasdhope LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-vecchione-17212160/ Clubhouse - @natalievecc Check out our new book “Blazing New Homeschool Trails: Educating and Launching Teens with Developmental Disabilities” by Natalie Vecchione & Cindy LaJoy  BUY IT NOW!    

FASD Hope is a podcast series about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), from the lens of parent advocates with over nineteen years of lived experience.  Episode 93 shines a light on David Deere, MSW, MTh.  David Deere is the treasurer for his state's FASD United Affiliate Organization - Arkansas None for Nine. For fifteen years before his retirement, he worked on FASD Projects funded by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. David currently serves as the co-director of the Specialty Diagnostic Resource Center, which is the first clinic and resource center in Arkansas devoted to children and adolescents suspected of having an FASD. He is a social worker, by training, and a retired member of the United Methodist clergy. This episode highlights David's work with Arkansas None for Nine AND the "Advocating for Individuals and Families Living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)" - An Online Training, which will be held on November 12, 2021. This all-day training will provide an overview of diagnosis, ramifications, interventions and prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).  Provided virtually, participants will have the opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field of FASD and Justice. Presenters include: -  Dr. Ken Jones and Dr. Christina Chambers of University of California in San Diego- Dr. Kenneth Lyon Jones is considered the leading expert of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and he was one of two doctors who first identified FAS in the US in 1973.  -  Dr. Larry Burd of North Dakota Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Center -  Dr. Steven Greenspan - FASD Clinician, Researcher and Author -  Dr. Paul Connor - University of Washington -  Dianne Smith Howard - National Disability Rights Network -  Billy Edwards, Esquire - Deputy Public Defender, Los Angeles County Mental Health Unit -  Dr. Douglas Waite - Pediatrician, FASD Clinician and Diagnostician - NY, NY   This event will be held via zoom from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Central Time on Friday, November 12, 2021. Tickets may be purchased through - https://nofasjusticecenter.org/ar-nov-2021/   "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." - Matthew 25: 35-36   EPISODE RESOURCES - Arkansas None for Nine - https://arkansasnonefornine.org/ Email - arkansasnonefornine@gmail.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/arkansasnonefornine/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/arnonefornine   FASD Hope - https://www.fasdhope.com/ natalie@fasdhope.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fasdhope/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fasdhope1 Twitter - https://twitter.com/fasdhope LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-vecchione-17212160/ Clubhouse - @natalievecc Check out our new book “Blazing New Homeschool Trails: Educating and Launching Teens with Developmental Disabilities” by Natalie Vecchione & Cindy LaJoy  BUY IT NOW!      

Natalie Vecchione is a FASD parent advocate, podcaster, author, and most importantly a wife and homeschool mom of two. Natalie and her husband, John, built their family through domestic adoption. Their son, who is 19, lives with a FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder). He has graduated from homeschool and an aspiring, carpentry apprentice. Their typically developing daughter is 6. Natalie & John have a much different adoption journey with her daughter, as they are very close with their daughter's birth mom. Natalie turned her family's unique challenges and journey with FASD from career reinventing into a calling when she and her husband began FASD Hope in 2020. Her brokenness and mess and her journey as a mom became a message to serve the Lord through ministering to other families and those whose lives have been touched by FASD. Natalie has been an FASD podcaster for over a year. In October 2020, Natalie & John cofounded “FASD Hope” FASD Hope is a podcast, website and a place for awareness, information and inspiration for those people whose lives have been touched by an FASD.  The FASD Hope podcast series is through the lens of parents advocates with over 19 years of lived experience. FASD Hope Podcast is available anywhere you find your podcasts. Natalie's new book “Blazing New Homeschool Trails: Educating and Launching Teens with Developmental Disabilities” by Natalie Vecchione and Cindy LaJoy is now on Amazon.natalie@fasdhope.comhttps://www.fasdhope.com/https://www.blazingnewhomeschooltrails.com/Instagram - @fasdhopeFacebook- @fasdhope1Clubhouse - @natalieveccTwitter - @fasdhope https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fasd-hope/id1534406836Blazing New Homeschool Trails: Educating and Launching Teens with Developmental Disabilities https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096LYJCJW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_2FTXDPT5FXFGF767S8VKFetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is the leading cause of developmental disability in North America.  (Reid, D. et al. "Fighting for a Future: Where We Were and Where We Are Now" 8th International FASD Conference, University of British Columbia Continuing Education. 2019; Canada FASD Research Network; Health Canada, 2017. FASD is a complex, lifelong neurodevelopmental disability caused by Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (PAE) to the developing brain and body of an unborn child. The disabilities caused by this exposure fall under the umbrella of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). FASD is a brain-based, whole body disorder with behavioral symptoms, resulting in a broad range of cognitive, behavioral, social-emotional, health, adaptive functioning and learning deficits. These issues last across the lifespan. There are over 400 comorbid health diagnoses that accompany FASD's (Popova, S. et. al, "Comorbidity of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" , The Lancet, (2016). FASD is a disability that occurs on a spectrum, like Autism; 90% of individuals affected by an FASD do not have the better known Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), rather they have an INVISIBLE DISABILITY that most often goes misdiagnosed or undiagnosed.In February 2018, The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study, led by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill researcher, Phillip May, Ph.D. This study estimated the prevalence of FASD among FASD in communities in the US to be up to 1 in 20. For select populations, such as Foster Care, Adoption, International Adoption and Juvenile Justice, the prevalence of FASDs is exponentially higher. No amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy.

What are the long-term impacts of prenatal alcohol and drug exposure and how can we parent these kids to help them thrive. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Mona Delahooke, a clinical child psychologist and the author of Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children's Behavioral Challenges.In this episode, we cover:Long term impact of prenatal alcohol and drug exposure: Research has found that most drugs that are commonly abused easily cross the placenta and can affect fetal brain development. In utero exposures to drugs and alcohol thus can have long-lasting implications for brain development resulting in behavioral challenges and mental and physical health implication. Some things to consider:The amount of drugs and alcohol used by the mom and the timing in the pregnancy matter, although this is information that is seldom available to adoptive or foster parents.Very often children are exposed to more than one substance in utero. For example, it is not uncommon for a pregnant woman who is drinking alcohol to also use drugs. Untreated drug abuse/addiction often coincides with poor nutrition and prenatal care, which increases the risk further for pre-natal and post-natal trauma with potentially lifelong impacts. It helps to begin with understanding how alcohol and drugs exposure in pregnancy can affect the child not just in infancy but throughout their life.Alcohol Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) is characterized with a broad range of deficits. Children with FASD may not have the facial dysmorphology and other physical abnormalities associated with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). FASDs currently represent the leading cause of mental retardation in North America. Of all the substances of abuse (including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines), alcohol produces by far the most serious neurobehavioral effects in the child and into adulthood. Alcohol exposure can cause a host of cognitive and behavioral impairments, including:Low to average IQs (IQ can range from mental retardation to normal) Poor executive functioning skills Poor information processing skills Lack of social and communication skills Lack of appropriate initiative Discrepancy between their behavioral age and their chronological age (i.e., acting younger than they are) Difficulty with abstract concepts, such as time and money Poor judgment Failure to consider consequences of actions. Doesn't learn from mistakes. Poor concentration and attention Social withdrawal Other drugs: Methamphetamines, Amphetamines (speed and also some of the medications used to treat ADHD), 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)- street name Ecstasy, Opioids-(including heroin, fentanyl), Methadone or Suboxone, cocaine (including crack), and marijuana. While there are distinctions, after reviewing a lot of research it is fair to say that the following long-term impacts are often found.In newborns: growth restriction, decreased weight, length, and head circumference, but these don't necessary follow the child through life.Executive function impairments. (Executive function is a set of mental processes for the management of cognitive operations that include attention, behavior, cognition, working memory, and information/problem solving.)Attention and impulse control issues.May include some learning difficulties.Increased child externalized behavioral problems.Support the show (https://creatingafamily.org/donation/)

Daniel Hall is a former foster youth with a twist. He and his wife became foster parents and now they have 6 kids ages 5, 8, 10, 11, 17, and 20. They have dealt with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Level 2 Autism, Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), Post Traumatic Stree (PTSD), and Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD).  If you would like to connect with Daniel Hall, you can find him all over on Linked In RIGHT HERE!   Foster Care: An Unparalleled Journey Find All Our Links Here https://linktr.ee/fostercarenation Patreon https://patreon.com/fostercarenation Website https://fostercarenation.com Connect with us on our Facebook Page https://facebook.com/7timedad Connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fostercarenation/  

Drug Stats on Infants: 1. The number of babies that are estimated to be born every year with a dependency to at least one substance: 440,000. 2. There is 1 baby born every hour in the United States that is suffering from opiate withdrawal. https://healthresearchfunding.org/20-profound-drug-addicted-babies-statistics/ Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a postnatal drug withdrawal syndrome that occurs primarily among opioid-exposed infants shortly after birth, often manifested by central nervous system irritability, autonomic overreactivity, and gastrointestinal tract dysfunction https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6531a2.htm 70% of chronic opiate users will have a baby that is born dependent. 3. Alcohol used during pregnancy can result in FASD.  An estimated 40,000 newborns each year are affected by FAS, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or have FASD, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, with damage ranging from major to subtle. 1 in 100 babies have FASD, nearly the same rate as Autism.  FASD is more prevalent than Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, SIDS, Cystic Fibrosis, and Spina Bifida combined. Alcohol use during pregnancy is the leading preventable cause of birth defects, developmental disabilities, and learning disabilities. Children born to women who engage in moderate to severe drinking during pregnancy run the risk of their child being born with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, a classification which includes the three main disorders relating to alcohol consumption: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), and Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND). The Institute of Medicine says, “Of all the substances of abuse (including cocaine, heroin, and marijuana), alcohol produces by far the most serious neurobehavioral effects in the fetus.” https://www.nofas.org/factsheets/ https://www.thelionstares.com/post/reality-and-society-parents-who-drug-their-children-children-using-drugs --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lions-tares/support

This episode is a short one. I think it's time that a lot more people know what FAS is and how to prevent it. As always, I hope you enjoy! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daramil-perez/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/daramil-perez/support

Marijuana and other cannabis products are becoming increasingly available across the country, and while compounds like CBD have been shown to be safe and even helpful in adults, the side effects of cannabis products are relatively unknown when it comes to the developing fetus. We've known that alcohol causes birth defects for over 40 years, causing a condition called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and the greater spectrum of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).   But alcohol isn't the only commonly used substance to cause birth defects.   Dr. Parnell's lab and others shows that CBD and THC, the two most well-studied compounds in marijuana can also be harmful to the developing brain.  His research points to a possible fetal cannabis syndrome that could have very similar effects to alcohol.  It seems that both alcohol and mariujana could hit the developing brain at the same stage- but listen in for the details!   Neurulation in embryonic development[/caption] Here's the main publication we discussed. UNC broke this story late last year here.

Drinking at any time during pregnancy may cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). It is a lifelong disability for which there is no cure. It is a lifelong disability for which there is no cure. In Canada, the statistics of diagnosed cases are a staggering 1% of the population or 300,000 people. In the U.S. it is estimated that as many as 40,000 babies are born with FASD each year. FASD refers to a range of effects that can occur as a result of being exposed to alcohol while in the womb. A number of factors including how much and at what point in the pregnancy the woman drank alcohol influence the level of impairments the person living with FASD will experience. In addition to being at risk for a variety of physical and learning disabilities, people with FASD experience difficulties with social and adaptive skill development. In the presentation delivered by addictions counsellor Diana Fox, viewers will be introduced to the diagnostic terms used to identify the detrimental effects caused by prenatal alcohol exposure and the impact it has on those living with the disability. Viewers will learn about disabilities and behavioural issues individuals with FASD may experience and some of the challenges with which they may live with throughout their lifespan. Questions for Further Consideration: What preconceived notions did I have about people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder? Many people are familiar with the term Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, but don’t realize that it is only one of the diagnoses that fall under the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder umbrella. Other diagnostic terms include Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder, Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Alcohol Related Birth Defects. The presentation by Diana Fox and further reading on the topic may augment your understanding of FASD. What are some of the valuable facts learned through this presentation that can be shared with a caller who is pregnant and has questions about alcohol consumption? Your responses may include: There is no safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant There is no safe time to drink alcohol during pregnancy The stage of fetal development and the amount of alcohol ingested impact the severity of brain damage Prenatal exposure to alcohol consumption results in lifelong disabilities There is no cure for FASD, however, people with FASD can do well with appropriate supports and services Paternal alcohol consumption does not cause FASD. However men play an important supportive role during the pregnancy of their partner. Their behaviour can help a pregnant woman stop and/or reduce her alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Be familiar with FASD resources, community supports and share your information What are the resources for supporting individuals who have been diagnosed with FASD in your community? Where can parents or loved ones get help? There are many supports in communities and online that focus on issues related to FASD. Those seeking help may want to be referred to community health representatives, social workers, FASD support groups, inclusive schooling consultants, and agencies that provide developmental therapy for individuals with disabilities. Become familiar with what is offered in your own community. Glossary of Terms: FASD: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a term that describes the range of physical, mental and behavioural disabilities that can occur in an individual whose birth mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. FASD is a lifelong disability which includes four alcohol-related medical diagnoses: 1) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), 2) partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS), 3) Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) and 4) Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD) (http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/fasd-etcaf/cdnguidelines-eng.php (https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder.html)) FAS: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a birth defect caused by maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. FAS refers to distinctive facial characteristics (dysmorphology), delayed growth and damage to the central nervous system (the brain) due to prenatal exposure to alcohol. To be diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, a person would meet all of the following criteria: Growth deficiency A unique cluster of facial anomalies, such as shorter eye slits, flat mid-face, smooth philtrum (the vertical groove above the lips) and a thin upper lip Central nervous system damage (including structural, neurological, and/or functional impairment) Confirmation of prenatal alcohol exposure pFAS: partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the medical term used when a person has some of the facial features of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, has central nervous system damage and, of course, confirmed prenatal alcohol exposure (www.faseout.ca (http://faseout.ca/)) . ARND: Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder refers to the medical condition of individuals who exhibit a variable range of central nervous system damage and a pattern of behavioural or cognitive (information processing) impairments caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. These individuals do not have the visible signs such as growth deficiencies or the facial features. Although they lack the visible signs of a disability, the central nervous system damage or brain damage can be just as severe as those with FAS or pFAS. It is these individuals who most often fall through the cracks of our social supports and who are often seen as non-compliant, resistant, manipulative and uncooperative. They often have expectations placed on them that they are unable to meet due to the damage to their brain. The most common primary disabilities of FASD are: Difficulty organizing thoughts Difficulty with memory Difficulty with abstract concepts (for example, time and money) Impaired judgments Slow cognitive pace Impulsivity Communication challenges (“can talk the talk but can’t walk the walk”) Inability to generalize information The most common secondary disabilities of FASD are: Substance use Mental Illness School problems Trouble with the law Violent or threatening behaviour Employment Living independently Homelessness Sensory Integration: provides a crucial foundation for later, more complex learning and behaviour. Sensory experiences include touch, movement, body awareness, sight, sound, and the pull of gravity. The process of the brain organizing and interpreting this information is called sensory integration. Signs of Sensory Integration Dysfunction: Deficits in SI result in confusion in the interpretation of incoming sensations (sounds, smells, touch) which can result in individuals becoming easily overwhelmed by relatively commonplace events/circumstances. This may lead to: Sensitivity to touch, movement, sights, or sounds Under reactive to touch, movement, sights, or sounds Easily distracted Activity level that is unusually high or unusually low Physical clumsiness or apparent carelessness Impulsivity, lacking in self control Difficulty making transitions from one situation to another Inability to unwind or calm self (www.sensoryinfo.com (http://www.sensoryinfo.com/))

Tina Thebeau works with Matt at Say Know as a blogger (you can hear her in our introductory episode, 00). A recovered long-term cocaine user and survivor of an abusive upbringing, she has found strength within herself to heal others and urges users to find newer, healthier ways of coping with past trauma. In this episode, Tina discusses living with the effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), growing up in multiple abusive and unhealthy foster homes, and stepping back from the edge just as she was about to fall over. HIGHLIGHTS: -Tina describes her early life experiences with FAS, being adopted by a dysfunctional family, and finding a healthy foster home. -How a decision by Social Services prevented Tina from growing up with her loving foster family. -Dealing with violent and vengeful thoughts at a young age. -Tracking the development of Tina’s drug usage and addiction and discussing how drug abstinence programs have an unintended opposite effect. -“Using dreams” and the ever-present fear of relapse while clean. -How a mentor pulled through for Tina at the most pivotal point in her addiction. -Finding continuing strength and motivation through faith and spirituality. QUOTES: “Slowly, slowly, they gained my trust, and I fell madly in love with these people and I wanted to be with these people forever and ever and ever.” “I remember making a choice and a promise to myself that I was never, ever, ever gonna be like her. That I didn’t want to be that hateful and that crue and that bitter.” “You wanna know what’s wrong? Everything is so good, and usually when shit is so good, some shit hits the fan.” “I didn’t want to give up. I just needed someone to believe in me.” “I didn’t go through everything I went through to be a drug addict and die in a gutter. That wasn’t what my life was for.” “If we could see ourselves the way other people saw us, I think we would be blown away.” LINKS: Tina’s author page at Say Know - https://www.sayknow.org/blog/?author=57d70b0f414fb55c4f3be3e7 Official Say Know homepage - http://www.sayknow.org/ Canadian Research Initiative of Substance Misuse (CRISM) Prairies website - https://crismprairies.ca/ SayKnow.org Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/sayknoworg SayKnow.org Twitter feed - https://twitter.com/SayKnowOrg Music provided by Redbull DJ Champ, Charly Hustle - http://www.charlyhustlemusic.com Find out more on the Say Know Podcast website.

Any Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is diagnosed by assessing the four key features that were first identified in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in 1973. FAS requires a positive and severe finding in all four key features, but other FASD conditions may vary across a continuum of severity. FAS is the only expression of FASD that has garnered consensus among experts to become an official ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnosis. The four key features of FASD that are assessed with any diagnostic system include: Growth Deficiency (height and/or weight)FAS Facial Features (small eyes, flattened philtrum, thinned upper lip)Central Nervous System (CNS) damage (either physical damage or functional problems)Prenatal alcohol exposure level (confirmed, unknown, or no exposure) The following criteria must be fully met for an FAS diagnosis: Growth deficiency - Prenatal or postnatal height or weight (or both) at or below the 10th percentile at any point in life, FAS facial features - All three FAS facial features present, Central nervous system damage - Clinically significant structural, neurological, or functional impairment, and Prenatal alcohol exposure - Confirmed or Unknown prenatal alcohol exposure. Is FAS worse than other FASD conditions? No. The fact is that other FASD conditions have more secondary disabilities. Feedback or comments may be sent to: Michael__at__FASDElephant__dot__com.

HistoryThe earliest known observation of possible links between maternal alcohol use and fetal damage may have been made in 1899 by Dr. William Sullivan, a Liverpool prison physician who noted higher rates of stillbirth for 120 alcoholic female prisoners than their sober female relatives and suggested the causal agent to be alcohol use (Sullivan, 1899). This view contradicted the predominant theories of the day, which were that genetics caused mental retardation, poverty, and criminal behavior. A case study popular in the early 1900s by Henry H. Goddard involved the Kallikak family and shows the bias of the time period (Goddard, 1912), though later researchers conclude that the Kallikaks almost certainly had FAS (Karp, R.J., et al, 1995). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or FAS, was named in 1973 by two dysmorphologists, Drs. Kenneth Lyons Jones and David W. Smith of the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle. They identified a pattern of "craniofacial, limb, and cardiovascular defects associated with prenatal onset growth deficiency and developmental delay" in eight unrelated children of three ethnic groups, all born to mothers who were alcoholics (Jones, K.L., et al, 1973). While many syndromes are eponymous, or named after the physician first reporting the association of symptoms, Dr. Smith named FAS after alcohol, the causal agent of the symptoms. His reasoning for doing so was to promote prevention of FAS, believing that if people knew maternal alcohol consumption caused the syndrome, then abstinence during pregnancy would follow from patient education and public awareness. Nobody was aware of the full range of possible birth defects from FASD or its prevalence rate at that time, but admitting alcohol use during pregnancy can feel stigmatizing to birth mothers and complicate diagnostic efforts of a syndrome with its preventable cause in the name. Over time, the term FASD is coming to predominate. Diagnostic SystemsSince the original syndrome of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) was reported in 1973, four FASD diagnostic systems that diagnose FAS and other FASD conditions have been developed in North America: The Institute of Medicine's guidelines for FAS, the first system to standardize diagnoses of individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure (Institute of Medicine (IOM), Stratton, K.R., Howe, C.J., & Battaglia, F.C. (1996). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Diagnosis, Epidemiology, Prevention, and Treatment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.),The University of Washington's "The 4-Digit Diagnostic Code," which ranks the four key features of FASD on a Likert scale of one to four and yields 256 descriptive codes that can be categorized into 22 distinct clinical categories, ranging from FAS to no findings,The Centers for Disease Control's "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Guidelines for Referral and Diagnosis," which established general consensus on the diagnosis FAS in the U.S. but deferred addressing other FASD conditions, andCanadian guidelines for FASD diagnosis, which established criteria for diagnosing FASD in Canada and harmonized most differences between the IOM and University of Washington's systems. Each diagnostic system requires that a complete FASD evaluation include assessment of the four key features of FASD--prenatal alcohol exposure, FAS facial features, growth deficiency, and central nervous system damage. A positive finding on all four features is required for a diagnosis of FAS, the first diagnosable condition of FASD that was discovered. However, prenatal alcohol exposure and central nervous system damage are the critical elements of the spectrum of FASD, and a positive finding in these two features is sufficient for an FASD diagnosis that is not "full-blown FAS." Diagnoses and diagnostic criteria will be described in detail in the next podcast. Feedback or comments may be sent to: Michael__at__FASDElephant__dot__com. My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-6ab64b0bda8df39635beb79ecf0e0585}

Today's episode covers the definiton of FASD and attempts to clear up the confusing terminology that has been used in the past. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) describes a continuum of permanent birth defects caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. Maternal alcohol crosses the placental barrier and can stunt fetal growth or weight, create distinctive facial stigmata, damage neurons and brain structures, and/or cause other physical anomalies. While prenatal alcohol exposure does not automatically result in FASD, the U.S. Surgeon General advises pregnant women to abstain from alcohol use due to the risk of FASD. The main effect of FASD is permanent central nervous system damage, in which developing brain cells and structures have been capriciously garbled, malformed, or underdeveloped by prenatal alcohol exposure. The risk of brain damage exists during each trimester, since the fetal brain develops throughout the entire pregnancy. Fetal alcohol exposure is regarded by researchers as the leading known cause of mental retardation in the Western world. In the United States alone, it is estimated that every year up to 40,000 infants are born with some form of FASD. The lifetime medical and social costs of each child are estimated to be as high as US$800,000 across the lifespan. The term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is not in itself a clinical diagnosis but describes the full range of disabilities that may result from prenatal alcohol exposure. Currently, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the only expression of prenatal alcohol exposure that is defined by the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems and assigned ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnoses. There are a number of other subtypes based on partial expressions of FAS, including Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (PFAS), Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND), Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD), and Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE). The latter two terms (ARBD and FAE) are not in general use today due to definitional vagueness. There are four components to an FASD evaluation and diagnosis: Growth deficiency (low height and/or weight, at birth or any point in lifetime)FAS facial features (small eyes, smooth philtrum [groove between the nose and upper lip], flattened upper lip)Central nervous system damage (there will be at least a couple podcasts just on this topic)Prenatal alcohol exposure (drinking while pregnant) Diagnostics will be covered in the next podcast. Feedback or comments may be sent to: Michael__at__FASDElephant__dot__com.