By Jeff Noble

It can literally happen in a blink of an eye. You had the day planned, you knew how you where to start and where to end and then BAM! Plans change and you didn’t even see it coming and now you’re stuck with no backup plan and that’s when ##$# can hit the fan. It’s bad enough when your child living with FASD does not know what to do next, but when nobody knows what to do...YOWZA. If there is one thing that I know and learnt, it’s that people living with FASD act out when they don’t know what to do. So, in order to decrease the meltdowns, here are a few tips and strategies that have helped me in the planning process. Continue reading “Planning for someone with FASD means having Plan A to Z!!!!” »

By Jeff Noble
You start to get that feeling in your stomach. It’s almost time for your loved one living with FASD to get up and start their day. The uneasiness you’re feeling is probably because you’re not sure what kind of mood they are going to be in when the day starts. You say to yourself, ‘please be in a good mood’. Have you started your day like this? Well I sure have.
‘Good morning’ you say, trying to be as nice as possible and at the same time trying to read their body language. And, then I get one of these – ‘This place sucks . . . don’t talk to me’. If this is the reply you get or something similar, then you’re not alone. Here are some of the reasons why I believe they start their day on the wrong foot and here are some suggestions for treatment on what you can do to get through the day and on track. Remember: It’s cope – not cure
Here’s something to think about, when trying to figure out FASD. Continue reading “My Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Mornings and It’s Treatment!!!” »

By Tara Soucie
Community Mental Health Counselor.

Jeff and I didn’t know that when we accepted the role of foster parents, that we were about to change our lives forever. We were at a crossroads in our careers – Jeff was looking at making a change and I just had completed my training as a social worker. Becoming foster parents seemed like a step in the right direction for both of us – in fact, we thought it was going to be a breeze. I mean, how hard could it be? We (all three of us) had just spent a summer together enjoying lazy days in the river and ice cream cones in the evening. Out foster son was great – funny, easy to get a long with, relaxed, kind and enjoyable. Since I had already been working as a relief staff with youth that have been affected by FASD – I believed I knew what to expect . Boy, was I wrong. Continue reading “How to Avoid Silent Treatment and Sleeping on the Couch: My Journey in Becoming a Better Partner and FASD Foster Parent.” »

One of the 4 Pillars of FASD Success that I write about in my free report is training. Training is one of the most important aspects of being a successful caregiver. Getting properly trained about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is imperative to understanding one thing: why your kids drive you batty. Well, that and why your kids behave the way they do. So, instead of getting frustrated by primary characteristics, (the behaviours that come with the disability, ie. short term memory ) with proper training you will be able to identify the behaviours and make the appropriate adjustments. And do yourself one more favour – train, train and more training! You must continue to learn about FASD because what often happens is we attend a great, super motivating training, we get all excited and we go home and put the new strategies and ideas in place, we lower our expectations and things, well… they go ok. The strategies work! Then, over time we tend to increase our expectations of our folks that are affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the same thing happens all over again: your stuck and your kid is driving you batty again. We’re back at square one. So, where do we go to get all this training and education? I know just the spot and I am going to tell you all about it.
Continue reading “Even THE BEST CAREGIVERS need A reminder from time to time!!” »