R.J. Formanek is an FASD speaker, educator, creator of Flying With Broken Wings - a Facebook Support Group for Individuals with FASD, caregivers and professionals who support them, as well as the inspiration behind and partner in the Red Shoes Rock international awareness alliance. Oh and did I mention, he is on the Spectrum?

R.J.’s story is an adventure of hope and inspiration from how he began his journey to end up where he is now - the happiest he has ever been. 

Not that I was my own worst enemy – But I definitely wasn’t my best friend.

Despite a rough start, growing up in the "system," he lived a "normal" life on the outside - becoming a father, a husband, and holding down jobs. Still, it was a struggle, living with an "alphabet soup" of diagnoses, which never really fit. Until a close friend suggested maybe what he had was Fetal Alcohol.

She looked me square in the eye and said: It's not your fault. And that just broke me right there.

...

This guy is no joke! Dr. Chasnoff opened the first clinic in the United States on prenatal drug and alcohol exposure. He is Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Illinois at College of Medicine, an author of 12 books, a researcher, lecturer, and the President of NTI Upstream, a company he founded with his son, Gabe. In other words – he's awesome. 

Throughout our chat, we will confirm that not only is raising a neurotypical child difficult in today’s world of social media, there are added challenges for our kids with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.  

“Children with FASD are at very high risk for misuse of...

TRIGGER WARNING: This is a first hand account of one birth mom's experience as she discovers that consuming alcohol while pregnant caused her sons to have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Some details may be overwhelming.

Anne shares a raw and powerful story of a birth mom who went from feeling “absolute, crushing anguish and unbearable grief” to helping save lives through her determination to raise FASD awareness through research, advocacy, publishing a book, training, speaking and forming the first FASD organization founded by a birth mom – in effect saving lives.

We delve deep with Anne as she relates how her doctor told her to “go and have a few drinks at the pub with your husband” to prevent an early...

Our closed Facebook FASD Caregiver Success group gets a lot of posts and questions about MRIs, so we took them directly to a professional who breaks down the brain, what MRIs are and can do, how past research is informing current research, and how her team are making discoveries about how the brain of an individual with prenatal alcohol exposure differs from a neurotypical individual. 

In this episode Dr. Lebel shares: how she found her way into the FASD world; gives us a look into her work (and how the brain works); tells us about a Canadian Study on FASD & Mental Health; and...

Settle in for a double feature to hear mom Yvonne and her daughter Nicole talk about their ups and downs on their FASD journey. What a treat this is to hear the FASD experience from their different perspectives.

Yvonne relates her journey from the first moment she saw a seven year old girl in pig tails to how their lives have unfolded and her own education and growth as an FASD caregiver.

She candidly shares strategies and tips as well as the significant challenges they faced not only as a family but also that she experienced as a single mom raising a daughter in a small rural town that didn't understand or accommodate the disability and how that affected them both through the years. Her best advice for caregivers: Don't dwell in the future. Be present now.

With Nicole transitioning to an adult, Yvonne can now offer hope for caregivers through her advocacy, blog and speaking engagements.

Picture courtesy of Pete Fisher (Today's Northumberland)

Nicole is a 22 year old...

Dr. Hanlon-Dearman has been working collaboratively with a number of research teams to understand population health issues of individuals with FASD and to better integrate care for affected individuals and their families. Her clinical and research interests include neurodevelopmental patterns of children with FASD, as well as children with a variety of neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Jody is a parent to three beautiful children, all affected with FASD, ages 14, 16 and 18.

She began working as a caregiver mentor six years ago with Wood’s Homes and continues today mentoring and supporting caregivers to feel successful in caregiving those affected with FASD.

She is also a facilitator for the MAPS Partnership caregiver networking support group for caregivers supporting those affected with FASD.

The past two and a half years, she has been an active executive board member for the Calgary Fetal Alcohol Network.

Her hobbies include involvement in the local farm animal rescues and owner at Pig Tale Acres where pet pigs are trained as therapy animals.

Show Notes:

If you're in the...

This week, Jeff talks to Tamra about pretty much EVERYTHING, including:

• Tamra's own learning curve and FASD journey since becoming Clinical Director at FCEC
• The steps a family goes through when getting assessed for FASD at her clinic
• Why a good assessment can be more important than the diagnosis itself
• The benefits of community and why it's SO important to connect
• How to calm your "Monkey Brain" to help you through caregiver "self-talk" sabotage

Show Notes:

The Florida Center

Need some support?

Join our "Closed" Facebook Support Group! 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FASDFOREVER/

Jeff and Maggie talk about about what it's like having FASD, how she manages the symptoms associated with the disability - specifically memory and impulse control (or sometimes the lack thereof).  

Maggie also shares some amazing tips on everything from managing a meltdown to her insights on transitioning into adulthood. 

Show Notes

Want to connect with Maggie? You can find her in the Facebook Group: Flying With Broken Wings

In the interview, Maggie talks about a whiteboard that she uses as a memory tool to help her with her jobs and daily tasks. Simple strategy - big results!   

Thanks for listening, gang!
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