FASD Activists

Pictured above is John Kellerman. Now grown, he wrote an article (link below) that beautifully sums up his life as an FASD-affected child. His adoptive mother, Teresa Kellerman started the website http://www.come-over.to/ to provide information for other parents, since very little was available at the time.

Right after Sandy’s death, an on-line support group of FASD parents contacted us. The first note in the chain was from Teresa Kellerman, who sent out the alert after coming across Sandy’s obituary.

At the time we were barely coherent but very grateful for the contact with others who understood.

Teresa Kellerman remains one of my great heroes. Her son now joins her in presentations on FASD awareness.

John Kellerman’s article: http://www.fasarizona.com/ihavefas.htm

Teresa’s journey: http://come-over.to/FAS/news/citizen2008a.htm

False Confessions

Prize-winning research by Kaitlyn McLachlan, above, found that 43% of youths affected by FASD in the Canadian criminal justice system gave false confessions under the mistaken belief that they would be released more quickly or to protect a friend.

I thought of Sandy not realizing that after age eighteen her crimes would go on her permanent record. “They will?” she asked, genuinely shocked.

Sandy would also do anything to protect her friends. At age thirteen she lied to her boyfriend’s mother, denying their first sexual encounter. “He told her it never happened,” she said, “so I changed my story.” Hearing this broke my heart.

Young people with the brain damage of FASD need significant support to navigate the legal system, as well as to navigate life.

http://www.sfu.ca/sfunews/stories/2012/fasd-youths-give-false-confessions.html

White Matter

Highlighted areas show white matter studied

by Beaulieu and Rasmussen at the University of Alberta

A new medical study from the University of Alberta shows that the brains of children affected by FASD generally do not develop as rapidly as the brains of normal children, with brain volume and amount of white matter remaining lower as the children grow up.

But the study also finds that the “brain wiring” within the white matter of children affected by FASD can, under the right circumstances, develop more rapidly.

As a teacher, I have used interventions that build brain connections to help these children achieve better outcomes.

1) Multi-sensory reading instruction allows children to access information with multiple senses--visual, auditory, and tactile--building stronger connections between letter and sound.

2) Number sense can be taught in a concrete multi-sensory way, starting with visually grouping dots on a card to help understand how numbers can be taken apart and recombined, the first step in mental addition and subtraction.

It's also exciting to think that brain imaging may one day help identify additional specific interventions for children with brain damage from FASD.

Read the full article in Science Codex

Additionally, Stanford sometimes offers a free on-line class on  How To Teach Math, for helping children work on basic number sense. Researchers there continue to come out with useful information on teaching math.

Adjusting Our Expectations

Social worker and internationally recognized expert Diane Malbin, above, offers this very helpful developmental chart applicable to many children affected by FASD.

Sibling Support

Sandy could be an imaginative, creative playmate, and our children spent many happy hours playing blocks, dress-ups, and make believe when they were young. She could also be unpredictable, short tempered, and wildly out of control. Siblings of children affected by FASD put up with a lot, and their experience can help them become strong, wise adults.

Though Sam and Molly developed maturity and understanding at a young age, growing up with Sandy left its scars. Molly witnessed terrifying violence when Sandy lost control. Sam, away at college during Sandy's most difficult times, suffered the stress of listening to disastrous news flashes he could do nothing about. Both worried about all of our safety. I wish we had been better able to relieve them of these burdens.

Fortunately, support for sibling is now much more widely available. Some of the many sources for information include Socal FASD Network Overview;  Substance and Mental Health Services Administration booklet ;  sibling support network.

Sam and Molly accepted Sandy with innocent grace. They taught her how to play. They always encouraged her. They shared their parents. We couldn't have survived without them.

FASD Service Dogs

In the past few years some young people with FASD have begun using psychiatric service dogs with good results. The dogs both protect children and calm them. They can be trained to meet a specific child’s individual needs. For example, a service dog can deter a teenager from self-harming and running away. They can keep an overly trusting FASD-affected child safe from traffic and from stranger danger. The dog basically serves as a kind of "external brain."

Besides guarding a child’s physical safety, the dog’s natural affection can help improve a child's self-awareness, personal identity, and emotional health. The service dog’s attentive presence and cuddly weight can help calm a distraught child. Their unconditional love has improved general emotional well-being and empathy for others. Language usage, focus, and attention span have all been reported to have improved in individual children thanks to the bond with their service dog. 

More about FASD service dogs:

4pawsforability  

Connor and Lexi's Story

Service dog story for children

Above Heart Lake

Today Ron and I hiked to Heart Lake and Rogers Pass. That's me in the photo, a speck in the panoramic view at 12,000 feet. While walking, I found myself thinking about the heart of my memoir about our experience with Sandy.

When Sandy was in middle school and we were in the depths of despair over the increasingly horrifying events in her life, a voice came to me as I was walking and pondering. "Just stick with her," it said as clearly and kindly as if a wise counselor were walking next to me.

The words of the voice sustained me. The fact of the voice astounded me. I clung to the belief that we were not alone. Maybe there was meaning to this overwhelming mess.

It was not until the end of Sandy's life that I truly understood the significance of what I heard. By sticking with her--however imperfectly--we were able to show her that we loved her.

Despite all her attempts to push us away, Sandy saw that we wouldn't give up. Limping, stumbling, even crawling, we forged a bond of love, as important for us as it was to her.

All I can say is thank you.