Etal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, (FASD) isn't a mental health diagnosis or a medical investigation but is an umbrella term used to refer to a selection of syndromes and disorders that can occur in a young child whose mother consumed alcohol while pregnant. The effects and symptoms vary in severity. Many kids share the common effects which include emotional, learning and physical difficulties. The common physical characteristics that can be related to FASD are facial deformities, growth deficits, liver, heart, kidney defects, vision and hearing problems in addition to permanent brain damage. FASD is the only 100% preventable cause of mental retardation and birth defects in the United States and FASD is 100% Nominal. It's estimated that FASD affects 40,000 babies each year. This is more than Spinal Bifida, Down Syndrome and Muscular Dystrophy combined.
Alcohol damages the areas of the brain that gives us memory, self control, coordinator and judgment. Children with FASD frequently have problems with learning, memory, attention, central nervous system, and problem solving abilities that might have lifelong consequences. FASD is a permanent condition and impacts every aspect of the child's life and the life of the loved ones.
The psychological toll on families can't be underestimated. For birth parents, acknowledging that their child's mental retardation, birth defects, or neurodevelopment disorders are a consequence of maternal prenatal alcohol consumption is very difficult to confront. For adoptive or foster parents, discovering that their child suffers from FASD after years of trying to comprehend his cognitive and behavioral issues contributes to feelings of isolation and frustration. As an adoptive mom I will tell you raising a child with FASD is the hardest but the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Andrew is currently 13 years old and is in the seventh grade. He's sweet, generous, loving and very naive. He also has exhibited a lot of the symptoms related to FASD since the day we brought him home at 1 week old. He cried all the time! Until he was 3 years old on medication he never slept for more than 30 minutes at one time, night or day. To say life seemed impossible is really an understatement. He needed constant attention and if I let him out of my sight in a different room for one minute he'd destroy it. When I was not right with him when he had a bowel movement in his diaper he would take it off and then smear feces all over the walls, bed and carpets. We needed to put a lock on the refrigerator because he would climb out of his crib at the middle of the night and dump everything out of the fridge smearing it from the carpet, walls, and beds. For years we knew that there were serious problems, but no one could help us. Each of the professionals said that his behaviors were outside of the expertise. We moved from Doctor to Doctor, counsel to counselor and searched everywhere for answers for our family. By age three, he was thrown out of every daycare in our region, went through a minimum of 30 babysitters, and couldn't remain in the nursery at Church. He was quite violent toward everybody; nevertheless the majority of his rages were taken out on me. He'd bite me, hit me and throw things at me. He would place holes in the wall, windows, threw stones at us, in addition to the automobiles and was basically never pleased. When he started college a completely new nightmare started. The fourth day of school he'd thrown toys, supplies and ruined the classroom than ran from the area causing the teacher to have to leave other students to chase my 4 year old. He had been moved to a mentally handicapped course where they had experience with other children like him.
From the time he was 5 he had many diagnoses I lost count, but not one of them really explained the severity of his behaviours. We'd tried 21 distinct medications and tried at least 4 unique sorts of treatment. We began researching the internet and found a few websites about FASD and found that there have been several areas in the USA that technical in FASD. Andrew and I packed up, leaving my husband and other two kids at home and went in search of an investigation. We moved to Baltimore, MD and watched a FASD pro that finally gave him a precise diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. While we had a diagnosis nobody seemed able to assist us get his behavior in check and his behavior was getting worse. At that time, he was on 7 medications however none were powerful. We went back online searching and learning about FASD and found a "severe" conduct practice, The Marcus Institute, at Atlanta GA.. They observed his behaviors and they immediately asked if we'd be open to coming to Atlanta to live for a couple of weeks so he can attend the practice. It was their observation that his behaviours were something that would not ever get better without extreme intervention. At this time we had no choice; he was getting bigger, stronger and more destructive regular. After fighting insurance complications, Andrew and I moved to Atlanta where he underwent treatment, training and testing for eight weeks.
