Episode 59 - Sandra Flach
Mending Families is hosted by Melissa Pemberton and she brings you weekly content that is a mix of trauma aware interviews, parenting tips for those caring for kids from adversity, and stories from people just like you as they share their beautiful messy moments. Melissa hopes that when you listen each week, you will feel encouraged, inspired and take a little something away to help you and your family move from broken to mended.
On today’s episode, Sandra shares about her own experiences with FASD and how she came to the place she is now, which is speaking and advocating for those affected by FASD. We talk about the school systems and ways to support our kids in the educational setting. Finally, Sandra gives us a better understanding of FASD and ways that we, as a community, can do a better job of supporting our kids with invisible disabilities. This is a must-listen for everyone!
Sandra is a mom of 8, 5 through adoption (2 with FASD). She is the Executive Director of Justice For Orphans, host of the Adoption & Foster Care Journey Podcast, and a certified facilitator of the FASCETS neurobehavioral model. She is passionate about serving adoptive & foster families. You can find her on Instagram or on Facebook.
Topics Sandra mentions:
*The Care Portal is a proactive way for the community to help keep families together so kids do not need to go into foster care
*The Connected Child and TBRI was the first parenting strategy that helped as they were faced with so many challenges parenting their adopted children.
*1 in 20 school age children in the U.S. have been prenatally exposed (not just kids from foster care!)
*FASCETS is a brain based strategy to help children with neurodiversity
*Diane Malbin’s book, Trying Differently Rather Than Harder is a great resource and the foundation for FASCETS
*Lunch and Learn - Intro to FASD is once a month and is FREE!
*You can learn more about FASD on the Justice for Orphans website or at FASD United
*Some more great podcasts are FASD Hope, FASD Success and FASD Family Life
*Adoption and Foster Care Journey has a great episode (#417) about the connection between the Gut and the brain with Dr. Jerrod Brown
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