Love...

If you're teaching someone who is living with Fetal Alcohol...remember to love the student you got, not the one you wish you had. -Jeff Noble

Build on SUCCESS

Children with FASD do better when you BUILD ON SUCCESS rather than constantly trying to redirect them or institute consequences.

Sprinters

"Many individuals with FASD can perform short-term projects well, but have much more difficulty with sustained effort over longer periods of time..That's because their brain has to work twice as hard, so think of them more as sprinters, not long distance runners." -Jeff Noble

Don't be a lit match going into a Fireworks factory!

If we change the way we react to someone living with Fetal Alcohol and their behaviors, they will change the way they react to ours. You can't be a lit match going into a fireworks factory. -Jeff Noble

Audi Processing deficits

"Because many people with Fetal Alcohol have audio processing deficits, they only hear every third or forth word. That's why everyday ends up being a real game of broken telephone, which is extremely frustrating for both caregiver and kid." Jeff Noble

Sensory Issues

Great explanation for sensory issues: All sensory input come to the brain via the nerves to the spinal cord and into the brain. At the base of the brain there is a section that is suppose to split up the input (visual, auditory, taste, tactile) and send it to the proper part of the brain to be interpreted and dealt with. In individuals with central nervous system damage (such as those with FASD) the brain sends the signal to the wrong area, which is why you may hear someone say a sound makes her teeth hurt, or some children say the light is "too loud." The brain misinterprets these signals often as pain since they are sent to the wrong area. It's literally painful for them.

It's SO Individual!

As a Caregiver, it's important not to compare yourself to other parents, even other FASD parents. Your child will hit milestones in their development - it's just going to look different and take a little longer. -Jeff Noble