FASD Resources
Websites/Podcasts/Videos/Books
Eileen Devine LCSW Brain First Parenting
For parents and caregivers raising children with a brain-based condition( like FASD), the journey is often marked by desperation, exhaustion, and heartbreak. Eileen helps those parents understand the Brain First approach to parenting and to implement it into their day-to-day life, so that over time, they too can experience increased connection with their child and renewed hope for their family's future.
Eileen now has a podcast on Brain First Parenting. If you are new to "Brain First Parenting" please go to Episode 0 for an introduction to this approach.
​
"Families Moving Forward" (FMF) is based on the idea that children with FASD have brain-based difficulties - neurological impairments - that are the underlying cause of many learning and behavioral problems. Caregivers learn Positive Behavior Support, Motivational Interviewing, and other evidence-based techniques.'Reframing' and 'accommodations' help parents change their own attitudes and how they manage the child, which leads to improvements in the child's behavior. Remote training is available for mental health professionals and agencies."
​
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Consultation and Training Services
Our mission is to cultivate empathy and deepen understanding of one another through recognizing and celebrating neurodiversity...This training is intended for professionals as well as parents and other caregivers of children with confirmed or suspected FASD or other brain-based conditions. Our experience is that the training is enriched by having a mixed group of parents, caregivers, and professionals.
​
FAFASD Families Affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
FAFASD is pleased to offer a variety of workshops and trainings focusing on FASD as a neurobehavioral disorder. These trainings explain FASD and help caregivers and professionals working with individuals and families affected by FASD create a plan for success. The workshops and trainings are based on current research and best practices for parenting, working with, or supporting persons with FASDs, and include many personal anecdotes, stories, and examples of positive change.
Behavioral Symptoms and Accommodations for Children with FASD
​
National FASD Collaborative Project Support Group Calendar
FASD Education Ongoing Webinars Online Support Groups
Families and Professionals
​
Nate Sheets Cognitive Supports
Nate's brain-based approach is unique and allows for us to value a person's brain regardless of who they are. He helps parents and professionals understand the complex demands of everyday situations, allowing us to problem-solve alternative support strategies.
NATE'S APPROACH:
-
Values neurodivergence
-
Meets the person where they are at
-
Focuses on connection & safety over compliance and "normal" behaviors
-
Using a "Stop and Think" Plan to Help with Slower Processing
-
How to help children de-escalate - Helpful/Unhelpful Responses
​​
CANFASD Canada FASD Research Network
CanFASD’s unique partnership brings together many scientific viewpoints to address complexities of FASD, with a focus of ensuring that research knowledge is translated to community and policy action. Our mission is to produce and maintain national, collaborative research designed for sharing with all Canadians, leading to prevention strategies and improved support services for people affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Publications:
-
Hands, Not Hurdles Key Messages for Community Service Providers
-
Excluded: Increasing Understanding, Supports and Inclusion for Children with FASD
American Academy of Pediatrics AAP
​​
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ACOG
ACOG Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Prevention Program
ACOG's FASD Prevention Program is a CDC-funded initiative.
-
Our goal is to empower health care providers to speak with their patients about abstaining from alcohol use during pregnancy by providing ob-gyns with the resources and tools they need to communicate with patients about this public health issue.
-
We also develop and compile resources for patients including FAQs, referral and treatment recommendations, fact sheets, and other educational materials.
Tools and Videos for Providers
The following strategies can be used to help women of childbearing age change their drinking behavior. They have been proven effective for use during office visits.
​
FASD United (formerly NOFAS National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)
Resource for people with an FASD, parents, caregivers, providers, educators, law enforcement, community stakeholders.
"FASD United works to prevent prenatal exposure to alcohol, drugs, and other substances known to harm fetal development by raising awareness and supporting women before and during their pregnancy, and supports individuals, families, and communities living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) and other preventable intellectual/developmental disabilities."
​
Proof Alliance offers comprehensive, customized training on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) for a variety of individuals – medical providers, high school and college students, educators, social workers, chemical health workers, caregivers, criminal justice workers, therapists, and other social/human service providers.
For Educators: What is FASD​
​​
Maine
Help Me Grow (HMG) Maine is a free service available to children up to eight years of age and their families. Help Me Grow Maine connects you to information and services about child development and community resources. In partnership with 2-1-1 Maine, any parent, caregiver, or provider can call for support. The Help Me Grow team will listen, link you to services, and supply ongoing support when needed.
HMG Maine is an affiliate of the National Help Me Grow Network. Together, we are working to help all children thrive.
Tel: 207-624-7969
e-mail: HelpMeGrow@maine.gov
​
Child Development Services Maine Department of Education
Child Development Services (CDS), under the supervision of the Maine Department of Education, provides Early Intervention (birth through two years) and Free Appropriate Public Education (ages three through five years) under the supervision of the Maine Department of Education through a network of nine regional sites.
​
A Referral System for All Birthing Families
Call: 888-644-1130
Maine CDC Public Health Nurses are registered professional nurses who provide in-home or virtual health services for families. All prenatal and postpartum women and all newborns and infants up to 12 months of age may receive a visit from a Public Health Nurse. Whether it is to address any concerns you have with your pregnancy or birth, a nurse can answer your health-related questions about you or your baby. If you have questions about your health or your baby's health, you may request a nurse at any time by calling the CradleME number.
​
Maine Families is offered to all families who are expecting or have a new baby at home. Whether it is your first or your third baby, Maine Families certified family visitors can provide information, encouragement and support around the topics that matter to you regarding health, nutrition, safety, development and your family's well-being. Best of all, they come to you at your convenience and at no cost to you! Find Maine Families near you to get started.
Family visits are a time to...
-
focus on your pregnancy, newborn, or toddler
-
learn about your child's development
-
view educational videos and resource materials
-
ask a certified Parents as Teachers visitor questions about parenting
​​
Podcasts
Alcohol and Pregnancy: The More You Know
Podcast Series Boston University
Listen to seasons 1 and 2 of this podcast and receive free continuing education credit.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are the most common preventable developmental disability in the US; however, more often than not, they are under-appreciated and under-recognized.
-
Access two seasons of Alcohol and Pregnancy: The More You Know, each with three distinct episodes, exploring the many facets of this topic. Episodes include:
-
Interviews with experts in the field
-
People with lived experience
-
Patient advocates
-
Demonstrations of difficult patient conversations
If you want free continuing education credits are available, select this link to listen!
If not, listen on Spotify, Apple, or Amazon Music.
Dr. Jeffrey Wozniak PhD Neuropsychologist University of Minnesota
Navigating Neuropsychology Podcast April 2019
Today we give an overview of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), which includes a collection of disorders that occur when a fetus is exposed to alcohol. We discuss this topic with Jeffrey Wozniak, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist with extensive research and clinical experience in FASD. Dr. Wozniak’s research focuses on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. He directs the University’s FASD Research Program, which conducts neuroimaging, neurocognitive, and intervention studies in FASD. He is the past-president of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group (FASDSG) and is involved with the Collaborative Initiative on FASD (CIFASD), which is an ongoing multi-site imaging, neurobehavioral, genetic, and facial dysmorphology project.
​
VIDEO
The Provincial Outreach Program for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (POPFASD) is funded by the British Columbia Ministry of Education and has been in existence since 2006. We are located in Prince George, British Columbia. The mandate of our program is to increase educators’ capacity to meet the learning needs of students with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
What Educators Need to Know 6:30 Myles Himmelreich (FASD Activist)
​
Nate Sheets
6 Things Educators and School Staff Should Know About FASD 8:00
Children and teenagers with FASD require specific supports that are unique from other developmental disabilities and conditions. Many educators and school personnel have not been trained on these specific needs.
More information and helpful videos such as Handling Escalation
​
What is FASD? The FASD Project
This film aims to bring awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and provide detailed scientific information on prevention, while aiming to start discussions about solutions to current problems facing the community.
​
In this two-minute video, Kiera Knowlton, a young woman with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), discusses FASD and some of the ways it can affect individuals who have this disability. Kiera also explains why an accurate diagnosis is so important - allowing the individual with FASD to access appropriate support, make the most of their talents and strengths and build the best life for themselves.
​
The Body-Behavior Connection - Myles Himmelreich, an FASD advocate and person with an FASD shares his experience from childhood through adulthood.
FASD is a lifelong disability. There are unique issues that arise in adolescence and adulthood, from diagnosis to services and supports. Go here to read more - thank you PROOF Alliance.
​
"This Chicago doctor stumbled on a hidden epidemic of fetal brain damage"
​
"Fetal Alcohol Disorders Are More Common Than You Think"
​​
Books
Malbin, Diane M., (2017) Trying Differently Rather Than Harder
Diane Malbin is an internationally recognized authority on FASD. She is the founder of the nonprofit organization, FASCETS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Consultation, Education and Training Services, Inc.). Ms. Malbin is also a social worker/parent of children with an FASD. This book provides a readable narrative discussion of the neurobehavioral approach for working effectively with children, adolescents, and adults with FASD. After a brief review of the diagnosis- understanding the brain injury of prenatal alcohol exposure- the author explores the most common neurobehavioral symptoms by providing case examples, FASD-informed interventions, which result in improved outcomes.
What Educators Need to Know About FASD Working Together to Educate Children in Manitoba with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Healthy Child Manitoba*
This includes foster parents and legal guardians. It is important to recognize that the effects of FASD vary in range and severity for each individual. As a result, no two children with FASD learn and function in exactly the same way. Your knowledge and experience, guidance and encouragement are vital to the child’s learning. Preparing for your student requires:
-
learning about FASD
-
talking with parents and the student about the child’s strengths and needs
-
getting to know your student and his or her goals • knowing how best to communicate with your student
-
becoming aware of what adjustments may be necessary in your planning
-
sharing responsibility for directing the student’s educational programming in co-operation with other members of the school team
-
knowing where to get help when needed
*Throughout this guide, the use of the word parent refers to caregivers who live with the child and are the primary caretakers.
Streissguth, Ann, PhD. (1997) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome A Guide for Families and Communities
Dr. Ann Striessguth was a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and former director of the Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit at the University of Washington. Dr. Streissguth's seminal work on maternal alcohol and drug use and FASD paved the way for much of the FASD research, prevention, and intervention of today.
Although this text was published in 1997 and the statistics and some terminology are outdated, her writing, based on decades of research at that time, "will help physicians, psychologists, social workers, educators, advocates, and families of children and adults with FAS work toward an educated community, a supportive network of legislation and programs, and better futures for people living and growing with FAS." (from book jacket)​
​
Bell, Carl., (2018) Fetal Alcohol Exposure in the African American Community ​
Purvis, Karyn.The Connected Child. McGraw-Hill Education. 2007
Based on the Trust-Based Relational Intervention, TBRI, approach for children who have experienced trauma, international adoption, prenatal stress such as prenatal alcohol exposure.
​
Rodger, Ellen,and Goswell, Rosie. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Crabtree Publishing 2014. Written for the teen with FASD and their families.
​
Catterick, Maria. Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. JKP 2014
Accessible and informative, this is a helpful guide to FASD for social workers, family placement teams, parents, and teachers.