Introducing the 1st and only book series on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD):
Written for preteens, teenagers, young adults, and those with low reading abilities.
Told from the point of view of a child
living with an undiagnosed, invisible disability.
Telling an uplifting, yet realistic story, of interracial adoption, a young boy, and his two loving
and committed mothers.
Having a therapeutic effect for adopted children, birth, foster, and adoptive parents and relatives.
9 Lives, I Will Survive
9 Lives,
Cat Tales
9 Lives, Full Circle
The trilogy is a set of fictionalized novels inspired by my adopted son,
Josh. The stories are told from the point of view of the main character, Joshua.
My son Josh is very handsome and charismatic. He has a normal IQ and is a talented keyboard player. Joshua's birth mother drank alcohol during her pregnancy with him. She did not know that the alcohol
would do permanent damage to his developing brain. As a result
of his prenatal exposure to alcohol, Joshua has an invisible disability known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).
FASD is an umbrella term to describe the physical, mental, and emotional problems associated with prenatal
alcohol exposure. It includes the individual with the physical abnormalities and mental retardation of Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome (FAS). It also includes the person on the other end of the spectrum who looks normal and has a normal or even
genius IQ.
Behavioral problems are the number 1 issue associated with FASD. These problems
manifest as:
- poor impulse control
-
poor memory
- the inability to connect cause and effect and learn from
mistakes
- learning disabilities
-
difficulty with concepts such as time and money
- difficulty with deductive reasoning
- difficulty with abstract thinking
- an emotional maturity level similar
to someone half his chronological age
- lying, stealing, risky behaviors
- not respecting boundaries and personal property
- inability to read
social cues and body language correctly
- having a very literal understanding
of words
FASD affects 1 out of every 100 babies born in North America.
It is a birth defect that is 100% preventable.
No amount of alcohol is safe to
drink when a woman is pregnant.
If you are pregnant, don't drink. If
you drink, don't get pregnant.
