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Today’s podcast reviews brain functioning and how it can be impacted by FASD. In order to truly understand FASD behaviors and interventions, one must truly understand how the brain works (at least the basics). Otherwise, we forget the FASD brain is injured and make those misattributions–and poor choices for interventions–that create worse outcomes… frustration, anger, hopelessness, despair.
This is the second of a multi-part series edited from a workshop on the FASD Wheel (TM) presented at the 2007 Brain Conference on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Mahnomen, MN.
Fathers’ Role in FAS and FASD
During this portion of the talk, someone asked about the effects of a father using alcohol prior to or at conception, and I found the reference to an article that speaks to the father’s role. This topic would actually make a great podcast topic in the future, but for now, studies seem to suggest that the father’s alcohol use is associated with birth weight, heart defects, and mild cognitive impairments. These findings are not yet definitive, and there are animal studies that suggest more problems, but it looks like there could be an impact on one of the Ten Brain Domains–the cognitive domain.
Here is the article for your review: Abel, E. (2004). Paternal contribution to fetal alcohol syndrome. Addiction Biology, 9(2), 127-33.
Links from the show:
Brain Conference – www.whiteearthchildcare.com/conference.htm
FAS Day Celebrations – www.fasday.com
More info on the FASD Wheel™ and brain functioning: www.FASDWheel.com
MOFAS’s Minnesota activities – www.mofas.org
Feedback or comments may be sent to: Michael__at__FASDElephant__dot__com.
