Recommended Resource: Trying Differently Rather Than Harder
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, or FASD, disproportionately affect children in foster care. According to adoption.com, a conservative estimate is that around 70% of children in foster care in the United States are affected by an FASD. The reason it is conservative is that FASD can be very difficult to diagnose, especially since each person affected can have very different symptoms. What we do know is that there is no safe amount of alcohol to consume during pregnancy. We also know that the at-risk families we serve are often experiencing many stressors in their lives, including addiction and lack of access to prenatal care. When you combine these factors, you sadly end up with extremely high risk for this condition.
Many of our foster families could very likely be caring for children with FASD who are not yet, or never will be, formally diagnosed with the condition. However, that doesn’t mean their brains and bodies are not being affected by it. Diane Malbin’s book, Trying Differently Rather Than Harder, can be life changing for those parents who feel like they are trying as hard as they can, but continuing to struggle with parenting their children.
Why we loved this book:
- It’s short and easy to read. Perfect for parents in the trenches of raising high-needs children.
- It provides medical information about the diagnosis in a way that is understandable for non-medical people.
- It provides very practical, extremely “implementable” strategies for supporting children
- It aligns very well to TBRI in its basic premise of seeing the need behind the behavior, focusing on connection, and empowering children to succeed
- It helps parents and caregivers to change their paradigm when it comes to raising their children, increasing their compassion for them and understanding of their unique challenges.
- It provides an immense amount of hope for parents who may have heard only horror stories about people with FASD.
Whether you are currently caring for a child diagnosed with FASD, you are open to it in the future, or you have a child whose challenges feel overwhelming but you don’t know why, please consider reading this excellent, helpful book!
And if you are a caregiver for a child with FASD, you are also invited to join a newly formed Facebook support group, Lehigh Valley and Pocono Families for FASD.