Living with FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) #AlcoholStories
Summary
TLDRBobby, at 34, shares his journey with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), emphasizing the misconceptions and challenges it presents. From early struggles with speech and play to behavioral issues in school, Bobby's story is one of resilience. Despite frequent job losses, he found solace in accepting his condition and urges society not to give up on individuals with FASD or disabilities, offering a message of hope and understanding.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Bobby shares his personal story to shed light on the stigma surrounding FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders).
- 👶 Bobby's early struggles included speech therapy at age 5 due to difficulties in speaking and pronouncing his name.
- 🧩 He also underwent toy therapy and family counseling, indicating early interventions for his developmental differences.
- 🎓 Bobby faced challenges in school, where he acted out to deflect attention from his disability.
- 🏢 Despite leaving school early and starting work, Bobby struggled to maintain employment, with a history of 30-40 job changes.
- 🔄 In recent years, Bobby has experienced improvement, managing to keep a job for a couple of years.
- 🤔 Bobby emphasizes that he never used his disability as an excuse but recognized his unique struggles.
- 💪 He learned to be less hard on himself regarding his learning capabilities and focused on doing his best.
- 🌈 Bobby's message highlights that FASD is a disability that may not be visibly apparent, urging understanding and support.
- 🤝 He encourages not giving up on individuals with FASD or any disability, offering a message of hope and perseverance.
Q & A
What is FASD and why does it carry a stigma according to Bobby?
-FASD stands for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, which are a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. It carries a stigma because of the misconceptions and lack of understanding surrounding its causes and effects.
At what age did Bobby first receive therapy?
-Bobby started receiving speech therapy when he was around 5 years old because he couldn't speak properly.
Why did Bobby participate in toy therapy?
-Bobby was in toy therapy because he couldn't play with toys properly, indicating difficulties in understanding how to interact with them.
How did Bobby's family support him growing up?
-Bobby's family supported him by enrolling him in speech therapy, toy therapy, and family counseling to address his developmental differences.
What was Bobby's experience with learning and behavior in school?
-Bobby struggled with learning and exhibited behavioral issues in school. He acted out to deflect attention from his disability, which was not recognized by others.
Why did Bobby leave school early and start working?
-Bobby left school early and started working due to his struggles with learning and behavior, which made it difficult for him to continue his education.
What challenges did Bobby face in maintaining employment?
-Bobby faced significant challenges in maintaining employment, as he was never able to keep a job for long, having had around 30 to 40 different jobs.
How has Bobby's situation improved in recent years?
-In the last couple of years, Bobby was able to keep a job for a couple of years, indicating an improvement in his ability to maintain employment.
How did Bobby's attitude towards himself change over time?
-Bobby stopped being so hard on himself after realizing that he had different struggles. He accepted that doing his best was good enough.
What message does Bobby have for those with FASD or other disabilities?
-Bobby's message is one of hope and perseverance. He encourages not giving up on individuals with FASD or other disabilities, emphasizing that there is hope for them.
Why does Bobby emphasize that FASD is still a disability despite appearing normal?
-Bobby emphasizes this to challenge misconceptions and to highlight that disabilities are not always visible, and that individuals with FASD face unique challenges that need to be recognized and understood.
Outlines
🌟 Personal Journey with FASD
Bobby, a 34-year-old man, shares his personal experiences with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). He recalls his early childhood struggles with speech and play therapy, and the relief he felt upon understanding his condition. Despite facing learning difficulties and behavioral issues, Bobby left school early and struggled to maintain employment. However, he emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and not being overly critical of oneself. He also raises awareness about the invisible nature of his disability and encourages support for those with FASD or other disabilities, conveying a message of hope and perseverance.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡FASD
💡Stigma
💡Speech Therapy
💡Toy Therapy
💡Family Counseling
💡Learning Disabilities
💡Behavioral Issues
💡Acting Out
💡Job Instability
💡Self-Compassion
💡Hope
Highlights
Bobby shares his personal story to help reduce the stigma around FASD.
Bobby was relieved to find out about his FASD diagnosis at 16 or 17.
Bobby's early struggles included speech therapy at age 5 and difficulties with toy therapy.
Family counseling was part of Bobby's upbringing, indicating early recognition of differences.
Bobby's acceptance of his FASD diagnosis brought clarity to his experiences.
Learning and behavioral issues were significant struggles for Bobby.
In school, Bobby acted out to deflect attention from his disability.
Bobby started working at an early age but faced challenges in job retention.
Bobby had difficulty keeping a job, with 30 to 40 job changes.
Bobby stopped being hard on himself, recognizing his unique struggles.
Bobby emphasizes the importance of doing one's best despite learning challenges.
Bobby points out that FASD is still a disability, even if one appears and speaks normally.
Bobby offers hope and encouragement for those with FASD or other disabilities.
The message is one of perseverance and not giving up on individuals with disabilities.
Transcripts
My name is Bobby. I'm 34.
I wanted to share my story
because there's a huge stigma surrounding FASD,
the causes and effects.
I was about 16 or 17. I was actually...
kind of relieved a little bit, actually.
growing up, I knew there was something different about me because
I was in the speech therapy when I was, like, 5
because I couldn't speak properly, I couldn't pronounce my own name
I was in toy therapy because I couldn't play with toys.
And then there was, you know, family counseling and stuff like that
so I knew something was different.
I couldn't put my finger on it
and that's why when my dad told me
it made a lot of sense and, you know,
I accepted it
Well, it has been a huge struggle, obviously, for many reasons.
I did struggle with learning and the behavioural issues.
and in school I just... I acted out
to deflect...
you know, my disability so nobody would
nobody would recognize it.
And, I left school.
I started working at an early age
and then ...
Yeah, I was never able to keep a job
... ever.
The last couple of years, it did get better.
I was able to keep a job for a couple years but growing up,
I couldn't even tell you how many jobs I've had.
30 ... 40.
That I stopped being so hard on myself after a while
because then I realized that, you know
even though I never used it as a crutch
and I never used it as an excuse,
I also knew that I had different struggles so
I couldn't be so hard on myself
when it came to my learning and I knew that
as long as I did the best that I could do
that was good enough.
Just because I look normal and talk normal
you know, it's still a disability
So if you have a child or know someone with FASD
or any other disability,
the only thing you can do is...
is not give up on them. There is hope.
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