Episode 46 - Eileen Devine
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, Eileen gives us more insight into Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, what they are and how we can support those in our lives living with FASD. She talks about Brain First Parenting and explains how she uses this approach in her private practice to help support families affected by FASD.
Eileen Devine is a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Brain First Parenting. She has over twenty years of clinical experience and for the last ten of those years, has focused solely on supporting parents across the globe, all of whom have kids with neurobehavioral conditions. Eileen has been extensively trained in the neurobehavioral model through FASCETS as well as the Collaborative Problem Solving model through ThinkKids and is a trainer for the Center for Adoption Support and Education’s (C.A.S.E.) accredited Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) Program, where she instructs other clinicians across the state of Oregon on what it means to be an adoption and foster competent therapist.
If you want to learn more about Brain First Parenting and all that Eileen is involved in, you can go to her website www.eileendevine.com, her Instagram page or her Facebook page.
Topics Eileen mentions:
*Eileen explains the brain-body connection from both the child’s perspective and the caregiver perspective. The importance of mindfulness and looking inward is so important!
*Diane Malbin’s book Trying Different Rather Than Harder was an important part of their own family’s journey of learning more about FASD
*FASD is a permanent disability much like a brain injury and although there is neuroplasticity, the brain cannot heal from this disability
*There are estimates that FASD is 3 times more prevalent than Autism Spectrum Disorders
*FASD United is the US Advocacy website for FASD services and there is a state by state directory to lead you to providers in your area
*Eileen offers trainings for concerned community members (this includes relatives) and also has some great blog posts on her website to help bridge the gap of awareness between parents raising a child with FASD and their support system
*Robyn Gobbel’s new book Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors is a great resource for parenting kids who have experienced hard things
*The podcast series A Little Easier by Kendra Wild is a series of episodes from professionals who have great advice and encouragement!
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