Today, I presented to educators and other human services personnel in Thief River Falls, MN. I told some of them the Powerpoint presentation would be on this site. I will have to have you go to my professional efolio site and find it in under the Work Samples tab.
Thanks to all who attended today. I hope we can continue this dialogue about getting more information to the students and families.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
What Interventions Work?
I was asked by a University student if there were any interventions for an FASD student. Here was my response (with a few changes).
I have some time tonight, so I am going to try to answer your question.
The only true intervention for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is to not drink. When the alcohol enters the bloodstream of the mother, the damage begins. The damage continues until the mother stops drinking or the child is born. It can continue if the mother breast feeds and drinks alcohol during the period of time she breastfeeds.
Early intervention gives the child the best chance of success. The window of time for early intervention has passed by 5 years old. Even the early intervention has minimal success. The brain damage has already occurred. From birth of the child until the child reaches 3 to 4 years old, a full Syndrome, and any FASD child would need focused and intensive diagnosis of hearing, vision, sensory sensitivity, large motor movement, and a full spectrum of physical evaluations. Academically, the child would need intense phonemic and verbal and physical prescriptive activities designed to stimulate the neurons to their maximum capability. Research suggests this type of early intervention provides for more success. I would submit that a parent or guardian who is providing this type of therapy or activities is providing the structure an FASD child needs to give him or her the best chance for success.
Besides having an early diagnosis and intense interventions as a baby, structure in an FASD child's life is the one single best intervention. Unfortunately, many FASD children are born of FASD parents and structure is not something an FASD parent is capable of providing. An FASD brain needs another brain to remind, refocus, direct, and protect the FASD child. An FASD brain is impulsive and does not have the connections other brains have. The FASD child needs structure both in the home and in the school setting. Transistions throw them off. One strategy is to have timers in the classrooms that ring 5 minutes and 2 minutes before transistions. When the timer goes off, the teacher reminds the class that the transistion is coming. This gives the FASD brain time to prepare for transistions. Schedules that change every day are not condusive to structure an FASD brain needs. Bus rides are especially difficult for an FASD brain.
Less sensory inputs rather than more. An FASD brain can not take in all the sensory inputs a normal brain can. Elementary classrooms and books are full of sensory demonstrations. A classroom with limited color and wall hangings provides a calmer environment for the FASD brain.
Another stategy that works is to focus on asking the FASD child a question when the child is observed to be off task, out of place, or doing something that is not allowed in the classroom. Typically , when asked, for instance, "Is that out of place?" the FASD child will be reminded and will return to the activity. You would need to train the child what "in place" means. The question does two things. First, you, as the adult, are using non-shaming, non-blaming language. This presentation does not blame the child for doing something they should not be doing. An example of shaming, blaming language is "Johnny, I told you to sit down!" By always remembering "Brain Damage", you understand what the child is doing is not a fault of the child. Secondly, this questioning give the brain a "jolt" or "restart" and the child has control of his or her thought, however fleeting.
The FASD brain has a hard time following a sequence of commands. "Johnny, go over to the bookshelf, pick up your Social Studies book, go back to your seat and open to page 35." is a series of 4 commands. An FASD brain will hear the first command and not have a clue as to what follows. The child will go to the bookshelf and stand there. A typical teacher response would be, "Johnny, what did I just tell you?" Think Brain Damage! Johnny's brain truly will not be able to follow the sequence of commands. The intervention is to always give one command at a time for the FASD brain. A software called FastForward can be used to train the brain to follow a sequence of commands. The research shows success with this strategy, although there has not been any specific research with FASD brains.
Computer software. An FASD brain needs to have many concepts presented many times. An adult can only review so much before getting frustrated, angry, and shaming/blaming. Have you every heard a teacher say, "How many times do I have to tell you?" A computer never gets angry with a student. A computer gives immediate feedback to a student. A computer with the right software in the classroom allows an FASD brain to move forward in the curriculum at their achievement pace, while saving face with the other kids in the classroom. An FASD brain will shut down when a adult says the above. When the FASD brain shuts down, you get the secondary disabilities of depression, anger, emotional, behavioral disabilities, etc.
Medication. In many cases, FASD is misdiagnosed as ADD or ADHD. Medication does work as an intervention in many FASD brains. The meds, when applied correctly and that may take several different attempts of type and dosage, will give the FASD brain a window of time every day to gather knowledge. How the brain is able to use the knowledge is tied directly to what areas of the brain is damaged. Remember, an FASD brain is not necessarily unintelligent, the brain just does not have the necessary links to make the intelligence work the way a normal brain works.
In my experience, many FASD brains need touch to facilitate learning. Numbers and letters are learned using object letters to feel, touch, squeeze, and stroke. Subject such as, science, reading, math, and others are better learned using kinetic strategies, to the extent the FASD brain can learn and remember. The mouse on the computer gives the FASD brain a tool to move and direct.
Some FASD brains need constant motion, so having devices on the chairs that makes the brain constantly have to balance can help. Objects the child can handle, squeeze, and/or flex can meet the need for the brain to constantly give muscles the command to move.
I could go on. I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask more questions.
I have some time tonight, so I am going to try to answer your question.
The only true intervention for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is to not drink. When the alcohol enters the bloodstream of the mother, the damage begins. The damage continues until the mother stops drinking or the child is born. It can continue if the mother breast feeds and drinks alcohol during the period of time she breastfeeds.
Early intervention gives the child the best chance of success. The window of time for early intervention has passed by 5 years old. Even the early intervention has minimal success. The brain damage has already occurred. From birth of the child until the child reaches 3 to 4 years old, a full Syndrome, and any FASD child would need focused and intensive diagnosis of hearing, vision, sensory sensitivity, large motor movement, and a full spectrum of physical evaluations. Academically, the child would need intense phonemic and verbal and physical prescriptive activities designed to stimulate the neurons to their maximum capability. Research suggests this type of early intervention provides for more success. I would submit that a parent or guardian who is providing this type of therapy or activities is providing the structure an FASD child needs to give him or her the best chance for success.
Besides having an early diagnosis and intense interventions as a baby, structure in an FASD child's life is the one single best intervention. Unfortunately, many FASD children are born of FASD parents and structure is not something an FASD parent is capable of providing. An FASD brain needs another brain to remind, refocus, direct, and protect the FASD child. An FASD brain is impulsive and does not have the connections other brains have. The FASD child needs structure both in the home and in the school setting. Transistions throw them off. One strategy is to have timers in the classrooms that ring 5 minutes and 2 minutes before transistions. When the timer goes off, the teacher reminds the class that the transistion is coming. This gives the FASD brain time to prepare for transistions. Schedules that change every day are not condusive to structure an FASD brain needs. Bus rides are especially difficult for an FASD brain.
Less sensory inputs rather than more. An FASD brain can not take in all the sensory inputs a normal brain can. Elementary classrooms and books are full of sensory demonstrations. A classroom with limited color and wall hangings provides a calmer environment for the FASD brain.
Another stategy that works is to focus on asking the FASD child a question when the child is observed to be off task, out of place, or doing something that is not allowed in the classroom. Typically , when asked, for instance, "Is that out of place?" the FASD child will be reminded and will return to the activity. You would need to train the child what "in place" means. The question does two things. First, you, as the adult, are using non-shaming, non-blaming language. This presentation does not blame the child for doing something they should not be doing. An example of shaming, blaming language is "Johnny, I told you to sit down!" By always remembering "Brain Damage", you understand what the child is doing is not a fault of the child. Secondly, this questioning give the brain a "jolt" or "restart" and the child has control of his or her thought, however fleeting.
The FASD brain has a hard time following a sequence of commands. "Johnny, go over to the bookshelf, pick up your Social Studies book, go back to your seat and open to page 35." is a series of 4 commands. An FASD brain will hear the first command and not have a clue as to what follows. The child will go to the bookshelf and stand there. A typical teacher response would be, "Johnny, what did I just tell you?" Think Brain Damage! Johnny's brain truly will not be able to follow the sequence of commands. The intervention is to always give one command at a time for the FASD brain. A software called FastForward can be used to train the brain to follow a sequence of commands. The research shows success with this strategy, although there has not been any specific research with FASD brains.
Computer software. An FASD brain needs to have many concepts presented many times. An adult can only review so much before getting frustrated, angry, and shaming/blaming. Have you every heard a teacher say, "How many times do I have to tell you?" A computer never gets angry with a student. A computer gives immediate feedback to a student. A computer with the right software in the classroom allows an FASD brain to move forward in the curriculum at their achievement pace, while saving face with the other kids in the classroom. An FASD brain will shut down when a adult says the above. When the FASD brain shuts down, you get the secondary disabilities of depression, anger, emotional, behavioral disabilities, etc.
Medication. In many cases, FASD is misdiagnosed as ADD or ADHD. Medication does work as an intervention in many FASD brains. The meds, when applied correctly and that may take several different attempts of type and dosage, will give the FASD brain a window of time every day to gather knowledge. How the brain is able to use the knowledge is tied directly to what areas of the brain is damaged. Remember, an FASD brain is not necessarily unintelligent, the brain just does not have the necessary links to make the intelligence work the way a normal brain works.
In my experience, many FASD brains need touch to facilitate learning. Numbers and letters are learned using object letters to feel, touch, squeeze, and stroke. Subject such as, science, reading, math, and others are better learned using kinetic strategies, to the extent the FASD brain can learn and remember. The mouse on the computer gives the FASD brain a tool to move and direct.
Some FASD brains need constant motion, so having devices on the chairs that makes the brain constantly have to balance can help. Objects the child can handle, squeeze, and/or flex can meet the need for the brain to constantly give muscles the command to move.
I could go on. I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask more questions.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Alcohol Babies
Crack Babies! Meth Babies! Cocaine Babies! We have seen and heard about all. In fact, I have had adoptive mothers tell me they went to Europe to adopt because they did not want crack or meth babies. It is so easy to identify and demonize mothers who deliver crack or meth babies. It is so socially acceptable to look to those mothers and say they are producing babies that the rest of society will need to take care of. We have no problem as a society to identify the crack and meth babies. But here is the problem. We only know of the crack and meth babies if the mother is using crack or meth at the end of the pregnancy. Evidence of any impact the drug has will only be evident if the drug is being used at the end of the pregnancy. Both drugs will leave the body within days. Certainly damage will occur with a crack or meth baby, but not the type of brain damage that will have lifetime reprecussions.
People are not getting the message when we use terms like FAS, FAE, FASD, ARND, pFASD, etc. We need to simplify the message. We need to link to what everyone knows. We need to reach the ones who don't care. Well, here is my solution.
I submit we need to start a new designation, one that is short and to the point......ALCOHOL BABIES. The difference between crack and meth babies and Alcohol Babies is when and how and what damage occurs. An Alcohol Baby can be damaged before the mother even knows she is pregnant. Drinking alcohol any time during the pregnancy will cause damage. Alcohol Babies are permanently damaged. An expectant mother could binge one day and go through all the rest of her pregnancy without drinking and create an Alcohol Baby. Evidence of the damage from drinking does not disappear like it does with meth and crack babies. Alcohol Babies are putting much more strain on our social system than crack and meth babies, we just don't know it. We need to have a shock campaign to get the message out loud and clear! Alcohol Babies cost our system over hundreds of thousands of dollars and more each over the course of their lifetime. Alcohol Babies fill our special education systems, judicial systems, and social systems. Many Alcohol Babies grow up to be violent offenders, abusers, and sexual predators. Many Alcohol Babies grow up and have Alcohol Babies. We need to stop this epidemic of Alcohol Babies!
People are not getting the message when we use terms like FAS, FAE, FASD, ARND, pFASD, etc. We need to simplify the message. We need to link to what everyone knows. We need to reach the ones who don't care. Well, here is my solution.
I submit we need to start a new designation, one that is short and to the point......ALCOHOL BABIES. The difference between crack and meth babies and Alcohol Babies is when and how and what damage occurs. An Alcohol Baby can be damaged before the mother even knows she is pregnant. Drinking alcohol any time during the pregnancy will cause damage. Alcohol Babies are permanently damaged. An expectant mother could binge one day and go through all the rest of her pregnancy without drinking and create an Alcohol Baby. Evidence of the damage from drinking does not disappear like it does with meth and crack babies. Alcohol Babies are putting much more strain on our social system than crack and meth babies, we just don't know it. We need to have a shock campaign to get the message out loud and clear! Alcohol Babies cost our system over hundreds of thousands of dollars and more each over the course of their lifetime. Alcohol Babies fill our special education systems, judicial systems, and social systems. Many Alcohol Babies grow up to be violent offenders, abusers, and sexual predators. Many Alcohol Babies grow up and have Alcohol Babies. We need to stop this epidemic of Alcohol Babies!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
How has FASD impacted our Society
Has anyone asked the question for violent perpetrators such as Son of Sam David Berkowitz, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahlmer and others who have captured the media attention as serial killers? I would bet we would be amazed at how many were fetally exposed to alcohol.
Wikipedia states (among other traits):
The element of fantasy in a serial killer's development is extremely important. They often begin fantasizing about murder during or even before adolescence. Their fantasy lives are very rich and they daydream compulsively about domination, submission, and murder, usually with very specific elements to the fantasy that will eventually be apparent in their real crimes.
Some serial killers display one or more of what are known as the "MacDonald triad" of warning signs in childhood. These are:
Fire starting, or arson invariably for the thrill of destroying things, for gaining attention, or for making the perpetrator feel more powerful.
Cruelty to animals (related to "zoosadism"). Many children may be cruel to animals, such as pulling the legs off spiders, but future serial killers often kill larger animals, like dogs and cats, and frequently for their solitary enjoyment rather than to impress peers.
Bed wetting beyond the age when children normally grow out of such behavior.
I think we would be utterly amazed at the impact of FASD. Only when society can see how it effects them on a day to day emotional basis, a financial basis, or in a personal way like paralyzing fear, will we truly have an impact on stopping this tragedy.
The greater community has not seen this as the reservations communities has. Bill Lawrence, editor of the Ojibwe News contacted me last year to gather information on FASD, as he saw the growing level of violence on the reservations and was looking for the root cause. His editorials on FASD were revealing, as he did his homework to find out more about the behaviors exhibited by FASD victims. He concluded, as I have, the violence on the reservations are a direct result of the brain damage of FASD. The elders on the reservations sit in fear of their lives while the bullets fly. The gangs own the streets and villages at night. Young kids are drawn or threatened into gangs. FASD kids become the gang enforcers and victims of gang violence, as they will act without caution due to the inability to connect an action to a consequence. Guns have become part of the action. Adrenalin feeds the action. Alcohol, the drug of choice, feed the action. So little attention is paid to the level of violence on the reservations due in part to the reservation's policies of limited or no access to information. The people on the reservations know how much impact FASD has in their lives, but most are unwilling to admit the problem due to the fact they contributed to the problem by drinking during their pregnancy or allowed their partner, daughter, or partner to drink during the pregnancy. The only ones who would talk to me about it were the grandmothers who are taking care of FASD grandchildren because the mothers had discarded the children, were in jail, or had lost custody because of their actions (most of the time because the mothers are FASD). Only once, after I wrote an article about FASD, did an American Indian mother talk to me about her child and the lifelong devastating effect her drinking during the pregnancy had on her child. Through all this, tribal leaders still refuse to see or state the truth. In fact, I have had tribal leaders go after me politically because I dared to state the obvious. I consider their attacks a badge of honor. I can't stand back and see this happening to innocent victims because some political figure wants to hide his head in the sand. We need to have the same aggressiveness when it comes to political actions at the state and federal level.
Reservations are a microcosm of what can happen in our society. Russia and mid-European countries are other windows into FASD impacts in society. Canada is further ahead of the USA in recognizing the impact of FASD. Wake up America. This is real!!!!!!
Wikipedia states (among other traits):
The element of fantasy in a serial killer's development is extremely important. They often begin fantasizing about murder during or even before adolescence. Their fantasy lives are very rich and they daydream compulsively about domination, submission, and murder, usually with very specific elements to the fantasy that will eventually be apparent in their real crimes.
Some serial killers display one or more of what are known as the "MacDonald triad" of warning signs in childhood. These are:
Fire starting, or arson invariably for the thrill of destroying things, for gaining attention, or for making the perpetrator feel more powerful.
Cruelty to animals (related to "zoosadism"). Many children may be cruel to animals, such as pulling the legs off spiders, but future serial killers often kill larger animals, like dogs and cats, and frequently for their solitary enjoyment rather than to impress peers.
Bed wetting beyond the age when children normally grow out of such behavior.
I think we would be utterly amazed at the impact of FASD. Only when society can see how it effects them on a day to day emotional basis, a financial basis, or in a personal way like paralyzing fear, will we truly have an impact on stopping this tragedy.
The greater community has not seen this as the reservations communities has. Bill Lawrence, editor of the Ojibwe News contacted me last year to gather information on FASD, as he saw the growing level of violence on the reservations and was looking for the root cause. His editorials on FASD were revealing, as he did his homework to find out more about the behaviors exhibited by FASD victims. He concluded, as I have, the violence on the reservations are a direct result of the brain damage of FASD. The elders on the reservations sit in fear of their lives while the bullets fly. The gangs own the streets and villages at night. Young kids are drawn or threatened into gangs. FASD kids become the gang enforcers and victims of gang violence, as they will act without caution due to the inability to connect an action to a consequence. Guns have become part of the action. Adrenalin feeds the action. Alcohol, the drug of choice, feed the action. So little attention is paid to the level of violence on the reservations due in part to the reservation's policies of limited or no access to information. The people on the reservations know how much impact FASD has in their lives, but most are unwilling to admit the problem due to the fact they contributed to the problem by drinking during their pregnancy or allowed their partner, daughter, or partner to drink during the pregnancy. The only ones who would talk to me about it were the grandmothers who are taking care of FASD grandchildren because the mothers had discarded the children, were in jail, or had lost custody because of their actions (most of the time because the mothers are FASD). Only once, after I wrote an article about FASD, did an American Indian mother talk to me about her child and the lifelong devastating effect her drinking during the pregnancy had on her child. Through all this, tribal leaders still refuse to see or state the truth. In fact, I have had tribal leaders go after me politically because I dared to state the obvious. I consider their attacks a badge of honor. I can't stand back and see this happening to innocent victims because some political figure wants to hide his head in the sand. We need to have the same aggressiveness when it comes to political actions at the state and federal level.
Reservations are a microcosm of what can happen in our society. Russia and mid-European countries are other windows into FASD impacts in society. Canada is further ahead of the USA in recognizing the impact of FASD. Wake up America. This is real!!!!!!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Our Profession
Service provider professional such as teachers, law enforcement, social workers, etc are reactive by profession. We react to behaviors, whether by a child or adult, with a practiced behavior technique designed to work for the normal brain. The normal brain can respond in a manner that meets the anticipated result of the technique. We are a long way from diagnosing the root cause of the behavior rather than reacting to a secondary observable behavior and assigning some prescriptive antidote for the behavior. With the FASD brain, the diagnostic methods need to be focused on the root cause of the behavior. We, as educators, are not trained to do that. Even when the root cause is explained, a typical educator will react with disbelief to the point of the detriment of the FASD child. "Yes, she has FASD, but she is acting willfully." or "Any child can learn that, even if he is FASD." Or, as I heard today from a principal, "What is FAS?"
Today I met with a mother who learned last week during our conversation her child was most likely FASD. We had talked about her child's behaviors and as a result of asking the question, she became aware the behaviors her child displayed were a result of her drinking before she knew she was pregnant. In the IEP meeting, the typical special education jargon was being used to describe the child's behaviors and what the school was going to do to assist this child. This was my first IEP meeting in this new school, so I was being careful with my input. After about 30 minutes, I asked the mother if I could speak about what we had discussed the previous week. She, in a relieved voice, said yes. I then broached the subject of FASD and what that meant for this child. This mother, who was the biological mother, became very animated and seemed so relieved that she finally had a reason for her child's behaviors. She had read all the material I had sent home with her the prior week. She asked for more and wanted to know where she could take her child for a proper diagnosis. She asked for more specific assessment to see her child had specific deficits. She wanted to know as much as she could about her child's needs. Contrary to what we may think, the mothers of FASD children, from my experience, are thankful to find out and are wanting to do what is right for their child, even if they were the ones who drank during the pregnancy. This mother will have a better chance of doing what is going to work for her child, now she knows. This mother will have a better chance of getting assistance from FASD organizations when it comes to meeting with service providers. This child will have a better chance now her mother knows and is willing to work with the school to meet the needs of her child.
I can't tell you the times other educators have told me not to ask the question of a mother. I can tell you I have never had a mother tell me she didn't drink during the pregnancy after I have asked the question. I can tell you every mother who has told me yes has asked for as much information I could get her regarding FASD. As educators we can not be wimps. We can not assume the mother will collapse with grief at finding out she was the cause of the brain damage. Maybe she will, but a child's life is at stake. When you know the devastating effects of FASD, we are remiss as educators, social workers, etc if we do not ask the question and deal with the answer.
Today I met with a mother who learned last week during our conversation her child was most likely FASD. We had talked about her child's behaviors and as a result of asking the question, she became aware the behaviors her child displayed were a result of her drinking before she knew she was pregnant. In the IEP meeting, the typical special education jargon was being used to describe the child's behaviors and what the school was going to do to assist this child. This was my first IEP meeting in this new school, so I was being careful with my input. After about 30 minutes, I asked the mother if I could speak about what we had discussed the previous week. She, in a relieved voice, said yes. I then broached the subject of FASD and what that meant for this child. This mother, who was the biological mother, became very animated and seemed so relieved that she finally had a reason for her child's behaviors. She had read all the material I had sent home with her the prior week. She asked for more and wanted to know where she could take her child for a proper diagnosis. She asked for more specific assessment to see her child had specific deficits. She wanted to know as much as she could about her child's needs. Contrary to what we may think, the mothers of FASD children, from my experience, are thankful to find out and are wanting to do what is right for their child, even if they were the ones who drank during the pregnancy. This mother will have a better chance of doing what is going to work for her child, now she knows. This mother will have a better chance of getting assistance from FASD organizations when it comes to meeting with service providers. This child will have a better chance now her mother knows and is willing to work with the school to meet the needs of her child.
I can't tell you the times other educators have told me not to ask the question of a mother. I can tell you I have never had a mother tell me she didn't drink during the pregnancy after I have asked the question. I can tell you every mother who has told me yes has asked for as much information I could get her regarding FASD. As educators we can not be wimps. We can not assume the mother will collapse with grief at finding out she was the cause of the brain damage. Maybe she will, but a child's life is at stake. When you know the devastating effects of FASD, we are remiss as educators, social workers, etc if we do not ask the question and deal with the answer.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
My Wellspring of Idealism
After a difficult two years in Idaho, I have returned to Minnesota to continue my career. Eighteen years in Indian Education has been both rewarding and challenging. I found a particularly difficult situation in Idaho that spiraled into chaos after I published an article in the Idaho State Journal entitled " A Fatal Link". This article was my thoughts, observations, and research on the link between FASD and violent incidents including school shootings.
One thing I have found on the reservations is the denial of the impact or existence of FASD. My observation suggests 60 to 70 percent of the students attending the tribal schools I have worked in are victims of FASD. The majority of those students are living with one biological parent, a grandparent, or an auntie. I have seen up to fourteen children under the age of 15 living with one grandmother, a woman so tired she could hardly function at work, let alone take care of fourteen disfunctional children. This household was the court authorized house of horrors for the younger children who were victims of the older perpetrators. All we could do at the school was to report.
Years of this had caused my wellspring of idealism to run dry. When I returned to Minnesota this June, I had to heal. I have started a new job in a healthy community and found the epidemic of FASD is prevalent there as well as on the reservations. Today, I opened my blog and read comments. I would like to thank Kari and Jo for opening up my wellspring again. I will continue writing. I will continue telling everyone so more eyes are opened. I also know that eyes need to be continually reminded to stay opened, because so quickly we forget if we are not continually reminded. I salute the parents who are so committed to their FASD children. To those parents, I say structure and support are so vital. I have seen the evidence of a lack of support and structure. Your children have a chance, the ones with no support or structure don't have a chance.
One thing I have found on the reservations is the denial of the impact or existence of FASD. My observation suggests 60 to 70 percent of the students attending the tribal schools I have worked in are victims of FASD. The majority of those students are living with one biological parent, a grandparent, or an auntie. I have seen up to fourteen children under the age of 15 living with one grandmother, a woman so tired she could hardly function at work, let alone take care of fourteen disfunctional children. This household was the court authorized house of horrors for the younger children who were victims of the older perpetrators. All we could do at the school was to report.
Years of this had caused my wellspring of idealism to run dry. When I returned to Minnesota this June, I had to heal. I have started a new job in a healthy community and found the epidemic of FASD is prevalent there as well as on the reservations. Today, I opened my blog and read comments. I would like to thank Kari and Jo for opening up my wellspring again. I will continue writing. I will continue telling everyone so more eyes are opened. I also know that eyes need to be continually reminded to stay opened, because so quickly we forget if we are not continually reminded. I salute the parents who are so committed to their FASD children. To those parents, I say structure and support are so vital. I have seen the evidence of a lack of support and structure. Your children have a chance, the ones with no support or structure don't have a chance.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
It's Everywhere
I have taken a new job at a charter school. This is the first time I have worked in a non-tribal school since I began my career. I have enjoyed the first couple of weeks and look forward to the day the students come to the school.
In the two weeks I have been here, I have seen evidence of the FASD epidemic. Just today, I interviewed a candidate for a position. This candidate spoke candidly about her adopted children and their disabilities. All the red flags were there. Another person identified FASD as the root cause of her adopted child after years of struggling with his disabilities. She will have to continue with the struggles, but now she has information that will help her understand her son.
I know I will have an impact bringing a higher level of understanding of the victims of FASD.
In the two weeks I have been here, I have seen evidence of the FASD epidemic. Just today, I interviewed a candidate for a position. This candidate spoke candidly about her adopted children and their disabilities. All the red flags were there. Another person identified FASD as the root cause of her adopted child after years of struggling with his disabilities. She will have to continue with the struggles, but now she has information that will help her understand her son.
I know I will have an impact bringing a higher level of understanding of the victims of FASD.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)