Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder With Guest Natalie Vecchione

Episode 66: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder With Guest Natalie Vecchione   In this episode, we discuss the ins and outs of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Guest Natalie Vecchione has an adopted son with FASD. Although it was not diagnosed at the time, he began showing signs of FASD very early on. Symptoms worsened around age 2, with symptoms such as additional sensory needs, attachment difficulties, speech regressions, delayed milestones, and sleep impairments. He started early intervention at an early age, but as he grew older, he no longer qualified for services. He started falling behind his peers at school. Her son has variable memory impairments, which change on a daily basis. As he grew, he also began exhibiting behavior difficulties, exacerbated by puberty. Finding a support group for parents of children with FASD was very helpful for Natalie. Natalie found that doctors never mentioned FASD unless Natalie did, making it difficult to eventually find a diagnosis for her son. Once she got a diagnosis, she began to look into trainings about FASD. She found that brain based or neurobehavioral approaches worked best and were most effective for her son. She found that mental health first aid training was incredibly helpful. Executive functioning of is one main cognitive areas that is impaired in those with FASD. This can affect their developmental age, which is often lower than their chronological age.   Natalie discusses that there are different diagnoses under the FASD umbrella, but it is a whole body disorder. With fetal alcohol syndrome, a child might have certain facial features, shorter stature, smaller head circumference, sensory and mobility issues, and other medical issues. FASD is often very underdiagnosed. Common FASD symptoms include dysmaturity as children get older, variable memory impairments, hyperactivity, executive dysfunction, having difficulty with abstract thinking, reading difficulty, math difficulty, difficulty predicting outcomes, sensory difficulty, slower processing speed (auditory or visual), impulsivity, reduced social skills, anxiety, self-harm, and low self-esteem. Symptoms can arise at any time during childhood. If parents see these signs in their children, parents should seek out an FASD clinic or a state or national FASD organization. For therapies, occupational and speech therapy tend to be most useful. Natalie also recommends that parents get neurobehavioral or brain based training.  Accommodations are key for children with FASD. It is key to focus on the strengths of that child. Accommodations could include visual and tactile cues, extra time, extra emotional support, extra support, minimizing florescent lights, and/or keeping directions short and simple. It is incredibly important to create supports for these children.   Links: Natalie’s Links: Website: "FASD Hope" Podcast (on Podbean, Spotify and most platforms) Instagram Facebook  Pinterest  Natalie Vecchione  [email protected] or [email protected]   Helpful Resources: Homeschool Legal Defense Organization CDC information about FASD- FASD Book- "Trying Differently Rather Than Harder" by Diane Malbin, MSW FASD Organizations- Proof Alliance National Organization of FAS  Homeschooling with Special Needs- Facebook Groups  Special Needs Homeschooling   Special Needs Homeschool Homeschooling the FASD Way- A Global Community Blue Collar Homeschool, Special Needs Homeschooling Special Needs Homeschooling High School and Beyond   Websites For Homeschooling             Learn Differently Special Education Homeschool Homeschool.com Mental Health First Aid- Training in Neurobehavioral Approach to parenting / caring for a child with an FASD or Brain Based Diagnosis- The CDC offers fact sheets- Training Aubrey Page, FASD Educator & Trainer     Email us if you have any questions or ideas! We are now on instagram! Check out updates on our website. Follow Thriving on Twitter. Check us out on Facebook! We are also on Pinterest!     Please subscribe to our podcast in the iTunes store, or wherever you find your podcasts, Leave us a 5-star review, to help us know what you like and what you don't like, and to make sure other like-minded people find support through this podcast. Show Music: Intro Outro: Intro Outro 2 by Mattias Lahoud under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org) Theme Song: 90s rock style by monkeyman535 under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org) Self Care Song: Green and Orange No Water by Duncan Alex under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)   Hosted by: Jessica Temple and Lewis Temple Disclaimer: Our show is not designed to provide listeners with specific or personal legal, medical, or professional services or advice. Parents of children with health issues should always consult their health care provider for medical advice, medication, or treatment. Copyright 2020 Jessica and Lewis Temple