FASD Family Life

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Welcome back to Season 4, episode 15 of the FASD Family Life Podcast. This is the only show about FASD hosted by an FASD Specialist and parent with 30 years lived experience. I am Robbie Seale, your host and mom to five incredible people; including three teens diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. As an FASD Specialist it is my passion to help families thrive. To learn more about me and my work check out my website, https://fasdfamilylife.ca/
I started this podcast to be the friend I wished I had when my kids were young and to bring hope to weary parents. I wanted to share what I have learned working in residential treatment, group homes, and raising my own children impacted by trauma and prenatal alcohol exposure. I pour my heart and soul and hundreds of unpaid hours every month into the production of the FASD Family Life podcast. All that hard work is paying off! Since 2021 the podcast has grown to over 43,000 downloads worldwide. I need your help to keep going and growing. Consider becoming a monthly sponsor. Your gift of $20 per month would enable me to keep sharing HOPE and teach the SKILLS needed to reduce stress and improve lives for people with FASD and the families who love them. Click here to Support the showThis week we are back with my friend Dr Jerrod Brown to continue our series: Threats to Emotional Health.
Jerrod Brown, Ph.D., M.A., M.S., M.S., M.S. is a professor, trainer, researcher and consultant with multiple years of experience teaching collegiate courses. Jerrod is also the founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies (AIAFS) and the Editor-in-Chief of Forensic Scholars Today (FST). HTTPS://www.aiafs.com/Jerrod-Brown-asp
Today Jerrod will dive into the fascinating topic of Sugar, more specifically Sugary Drinks as a threat to Emotional Health. If you are like me, you will be astonished by what you did not know about the detrimental effect of sugar on emotional health and the important connection between gut health and brain health. My friends you will want to grab your notebook and your favourite pen for this informative episode with Dr. Jerrod Brown.Be sure to join me for the next episode of the FASD Family Life Podcast when I continue my World Tour and I take you Down Under to meet Holly Ann Martin as we discuss the importance of safe guarding our children in the online world. Click the SUBSCRIBE button now so you never miss another episode.
Do you want more? Register for my LIVE online FASD parent training course FASD Brain Domain starting January 23. This course will explain the Ten Brain Domains and how they are damaged by prenatal alcohol exposure. You will also gain the knowledge and practical skills you need to transform your family life from the very first class! Presented by FASD Specialist Robbie Seale and Maryellen McPhail, Executive Director of Oshay's Brain Domain, in Scotland.
Are you looking for a place to belong? A place where you can grow in your understanding of FASD and be part of a community of support?
Join our community of support! FASD Family Life Community Support Group meet on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:00 pm MST. I hope to meet you there! Subscribe today, for only $10 monthly or $100 annually. https://fasdfamilylife.ca/

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Welcome to the FASD Family Life Podcast. This is the 105th episode of THE show for caregivers by a caregiver. I am Robbie Seale. I am an FASD educator, advocate and mom of five incredible people; including three teens diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. If my 30 years of parenting has taught me anything it is, that the struggle is real and so is success.
This podcast is supported solely by listeners like you. Consider being a monthly sponsor or giving a one time gift to Support the show.I have put together my TWELVE TIPS to help you set the stage for a Christmas the entire family can enjoy. First we need to begin with a foundational understanding that our hopes and expectations for a happy, calm, picture perfect family Christmas run counter to reality for most people. Christmas is a challenging time for many people for many reasons including financial stress, seasonal depression, painful memories, unmet expectations, and the loss of loved ones. It's okay to not-be-okay.
I invite you to settle in with with a nice hot cup of coffee me as we chat parent to parent. I will share some of the practical strategies that I use to support my family and prevent Christmas Chaos in our home.
I would love to hear from you! Share your successes and your questions with me at [email protected]

D o you want more? Register for my LIVE online FASD parent training courses
FASD Brain Domain and Parenting to the Brain. These courses will dive deep into FASD and give you practical skills to transform your family life from the very first class! I created these courses with my friend and colleague, Maryelen McPhail the Executive Director of Oshay's Brain Domain in Scotland and parent of three with FASD. Next Class begins in January. Email me [email protected] for info
Join our community of support! Together we will deepen our understanding of FASD & build a community of support with parents who understand. FASD Family Life Community Support Group meet on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:00 pm MST. I hope to meet you there! Subscribe today, for only $20 / month
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Click the SUBSCRIBE button now so you never miss another episode and leave a comment and rate the show because that helps other people find the podcast.

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Welcome to FASD Family Life, the podcast for families by families where we get real about raising children and youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. I’m your host, Robbie Seale, FASD Educator, advocate and mom of four children with FASD. I know the struggle is real, but so is success.
Whether this is your first episode, or your 65th, I am grateful to be spending this time with you. Please join me with a hot cup of coffee as we listen to the remarkable story of Paul Thompson and Glenda Jansen and the power of relationship to transform lives.
Paul Thompson and Glenda Jansen candidly share their lived experience; that of an individual who navigated homelessness from the age of 16 for thirty years with an undiagnosed disability (FASD), and that of the person who came into his life with unexpected advocacy and support. Resiliency, the power of relationship, and connection are woven throughout Paul and Glenda’s back-and-forth style presentation as they combine facts with story, humour, and love through tumultuous times. Listeners will leave with a sense of hope, and the understanding that it is never too late for a diagnosis or a new beginning! This promises to be an evening of laughter and learning for all.

Paul Thompson lived for more than 40 years with the undiagnosed effects of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, of which 30 were spent on the streets or incarcerated. He also experienced severe childhood trauma which affected many areas of his life. In 2009 Paul’s life turned around with unexpected advocacy and support; he willingly walked through the open doors and hasn’t looked back. Paul exemplifies why it’s never too late for a life to change.

Glenda Jansen worked with individuals who have special needs before she retired; as a care aide for three years, and then as a special education assistant at an independent school for fifteen. Glenda is passionate about FASD and believes relationship is key to success. In 2009 Glenda and her husband, Pete, met Paul at a Sunday dinner outreach to the homeless, and a couple of months later he moved into their home and they were instrumental to Paul’s life turning around. People often ask Glenda “Why Paul?” As they share their life experiences you’ll understand why!

Glenda Jansen's message is clear about what works:

• Relationship
• Grace
• Advocacy
• Diagnosis
• Self Care
• Hope

"Hope is passion for what it possible." Søren Kierkegaard

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Welcome to FASD Family Life the podcast for families by families where we get real about raising children and youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. I’m your host, Robbie Seale, FASD Educator, advocate and mom of four children with FASD. I know the struggle is real, but so is success. I hope that sharing my experiences can help you feel that you are not alone and that there is hope for you and your child with FASD.
I welcome you to join me with a hot cup of coffee and your notebook as we settle in and listen to Jerrod Brown, Ph.D., MA, MS, MS, MS talk about the HPA Axis. Prenatal alcohol expoure is an assult to fetal development. In this episode of Dr. Jerrod Brown will explain the damage to the body's stress response system by prental alcohol exposure which often results in HPA Axis Dysfunction.
"The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the system of interactions among the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. The primary role of the HPA axis is to
regulate a person’s response to stressful events and situations. Specifically, the HPA axis is
critical is assessing potential threats, initiating neuroendocrine responses when appropriate, and facilitating recovery after any potential threats have receded. Unfortunately, exposure to severe and/or repeated trauma, particularly during childhood, can result in HPA axis dysfunction across the lifespan." - Jerrod Brown
Jerrod Brown is a regular guest on the FASD Family Life podcast. Jerrod is an assistant Professor for Concordia Univerity, St. Paul, Minnesota and has extensive expereience teaching courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. Jerrod has also been employed with Pathways Counselling Centre in St. Paul for the past 17 years. Jerrod is also the founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies (AIAFS) and the Editor-in-Chief of Forensic Scholars Today (FST). To learn more about Jerrod's work, or to contact him click the link below.
Do you have a question you would like me to address on the show or a topic suggestion? Email your comments, questions and topic suggestions to [email protected].
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EPISODE RESOURCES:
Jerrod Brown, Ph.D.
Email: [email protected]
Below are a few FASD articles found in the literature that mention the HPA axis:

Mead, E. A., & Sarkar, D. K. (2014). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and their transmission through genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Frontiers in Genetics, 154.

Kobor, M. S., & Weinberg, J. (2011). Focus on: epigenetics and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Alcohol Research & Health, 34(1), 29.

Kleiber, M. L., Diehl, E. J., Laufer, B. I., Mantha, K., Chokroborty-Hoque, A., Alberry, B., & Singh, S. M. (2014). Long-term genomic and epigenomic dysregulation as a consequence of prenatal alcohol exposure: a model for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Frontiers in genetics, 5, 161.

Wieczorek, L., Fish, E. W., O'Leary-Moore, S. K., Parnell, S. E., & Sulik, K. K. (2015). Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and behavioral dysfunction following early binge-like prenatal alcohol exposure in mice. Alcohol, 49(3), 207-217.

Reynolds, J. N., Weinberg, J., Clarren, S., Beaulieu, C., Rasmussen, C., Kobor, M., ... & Goldowitz, D. (2011, March). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: gene-environment interactions, predictive biomarkers, and the relationship between structural alterations in the brain and functional outcomes.

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Welcome to Season 4, episode 22 of the FASD Family Life Podcast. This is the only show about FASD hosted by an FASD Specialist and parent with 30 years lived experience. I am Robbie Seale, your host and mom to five incredible people; including three teens diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. It is my passion to help families thrive. To learn more about me and my work check out my website, https://fasdfamilylife.ca/
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) refers to a constellation of disorders resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol; the manifestations include birth defects, developmental disabilities, and neurological and behavioral problems.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a common disability impacting 1 in 20 people in the general population in the US, which is nearly 3 times more common than Autism.

This week I am in the Netherlands where it is estimated that 2000 babies annually are born with FASD.
I am speaking with Nienke Peters and Luke Schut to learn about an innovative photo book project that they have been involved in to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in Holland.
Luke Schut is the Project coordinator of the FAS-project. Her background is in pedagogics. She came in contact with the FAS-project through her Masters program. Luke says "I am the most inspired by all these parents and caregivers, and the warm and caring FASD community. Let’s keep sharing stories with each other to make FASD more visible."
Nienke Peters is mother of 4 bio kids and grandmother of 4. Fostered 12 children with FASD and still fostering a boy with FASD and NAS. Met Allard de Witte in 2014 when he photographed one of our foster sons. Her family has been part of the Buddy Project of Witte Bos for over 4 years now.
‘Het Witte Bos’ is a non-profit organization, which initiates transmedia project on the cutting edge of journalism, art and society. The FAS-project started as a journalistic initiative, but eventually developed into a big multimedia awareness campaign, showing the potentially dangerous consequences of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. By storytelling, the project raises attention to a relatively unknown problem in a personal way. The FAS-project started in 2013 and launched with the book FAS-kinderen (Children with FAS).
After this the fas-project continued under the name FAS2025. In the past years the project developed and gained a wider reach & more impact. FAS2025 tells the story of Isiah, Lorenzo, Marcella, Mila and Jasmijn, following their journey towards adulthood for ten years. Their stories are told by a collection of stories, portraits and mini-documentaries. To give children with FAS(D) a face, make FAS(D) less abstract and to tell what FAS(D) means to them and how it impacts their lives. The project also consists of expositions, books, a podcast, a college tour to inform future professionals about FAS, readings at professional organizations who (may) come in contact with FAS(D), and a buddy project in which children/youngsters with FAS(D) are matched to a buddy to have a nice time together.
Link to purchase the book Children with FAS/Kinder mit FAS
https://fasproject.nl/en/product/children-with-fasd/
The English website: https://fasproject.nl/en

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