FASD What is it, how does it affect our children?
One of our diagnoses is FASD:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. It may actually be the initial culprit for several of our other diagnoses, but here's the kicker, they don't actually know!
The human brain is so complex, so "un-knowable" that even the Miriam-Webster description is full of words like, "maybe" "possibly" "presumed" or my favorite, "thought to be". 🤣
*rabbit trail: Miriam-Webster added hundreds of new words last year, but some of the crazy ones are photobomb, conglak (literally a made up language), face-palm, and binge watch. My all time favorite is Seussian.
Yet we can't describe or define FASD without words like "maybe"?
One of the most difficult things about FASD is its effects on the brain. Our kiddos don't generalize. Which is hard to get used to, and I'm reminding myself again and again.
Here's how it goes:
Me: Good morning! Go get your diapers changed with daddy, then sit at the table. I'm making oatmeal!
Gabe: Can I have oatmeal?
*disclaimer: remember I told you about reminding myself?
Me: Yes, I always feed you, every single morning, you don't have to ask.
Jazzy: But not me?!? I'm hungry too!
Gabe and Jazzy have FASD, so they don't understand generalizations. When I answer one of them, but don't address the other, they don't put the two situations together.
Imagine a world where you don't know if the "new" rule, "Don't unbuckle your seat-belt" applies to you, or not. And then to make matters worse, when we get where we're going, "Unbuckle yourself and your brother"... now... what do you do next time you get in the van?
This is the world that 3 of our children live in.
This is also just ONE of their disabilities. We also have muscle weakness, memory issues, PTSD and other emotional trauma.
But for today, when I get them up and make breakfast, I will remember to make sure EVERYONE knows they get to eat. ;-) And this quote will be ringing through my mind.
"Motherhood is of mastering the art of listening — to what’s said and what isn’t. And making your whole life your response." Ann Voskamp
The human brain is so complex, so "un-knowable" that even the Miriam-Webster description is full of words like, "maybe" "possibly" "presumed" or my favorite, "thought to be". 🤣
*rabbit trail: Miriam-Webster added hundreds of new words last year, but some of the crazy ones are photobomb, conglak (literally a made up language), face-palm, and binge watch. My all time favorite is Seussian.
Yet we can't describe or define FASD without words like "maybe"?
One of the most difficult things about FASD is its effects on the brain. Our kiddos don't generalize. Which is hard to get used to, and I'm reminding myself again and again.
Here's how it goes:
Me: Good morning! Go get your diapers changed with daddy, then sit at the table. I'm making oatmeal!
Gabe: Can I have oatmeal?
*disclaimer: remember I told you about reminding myself?
Me: Yes, I always feed you, every single morning, you don't have to ask.
Jazzy: But not me?!? I'm hungry too!
Gabe and Jazzy have FASD, so they don't understand generalizations. When I answer one of them, but don't address the other, they don't put the two situations together.
Imagine a world where you don't know if the "new" rule, "Don't unbuckle your seat-belt" applies to you, or not. And then to make matters worse, when we get where we're going, "Unbuckle yourself and your brother"... now... what do you do next time you get in the van?
This is the world that 3 of our children live in.
This is also just ONE of their disabilities. We also have muscle weakness, memory issues, PTSD and other emotional trauma.
But for today, when I get them up and make breakfast, I will remember to make sure EVERYONE knows they get to eat. ;-) And this quote will be ringing through my mind.
"Motherhood is of mastering the art of listening — to what’s said and what isn’t. And making your whole life your response." Ann Voskamp
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