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Mary Byrnes set out to understand her son, Harrison. Along the way, she began to understand herself differently, too. In this conversation, Mary shares what changed as she connected her own experiences with FASD: the self-blame she had carried, the misunderstandings in her marriage, and the support she learned to ask for. We talk about her book, Everything Clicks, and why understanding what FASD is does not automatically mean understanding what it is like to live with it. Mary also shares the work of Harrison’s Hope and why support needs to continue into adulthood. Key Takeaways from the Conversation • Self-compassion: Understanding herself differently after years of self-blame. • Everyday support: Conversations about money, marriage and asking for help. • Autonomy and help: Making room for support while preserving choice and dignity. • Lived experience: The difference between knowing about FASD and understanding what it feels like to live with it. Resources and Links Mary’s book, Everything Clicks: https://harrisonshope.ca/resources Harrison’s Hope: https://harrisonshope.ca Connect with Mary Mary offers a free virtual author Q&A to book club groups that select Everything Clicks as their chosen book. Email [email protected] to arrange it. Find Your Caregiver Community Join our free FASD caregiver Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FASDFOREVER Support the show

When Rob Scheer entered foster care at twelve, he carried his belongings in a trash bag. Years later, when children arrived at his own home carrying trash bags, he asked a question that became the heart of Comfort Cases: “How about some dignity?” Rob is a former foster youth, U.S. Navy veteran, adoptive dad, author, speaker, and the founder of Comfort Cases. In this conversation, he shares what foster care, homelessness, parenting, and building a family taught him about belonging. Jeff and Rob talk about behaviour as communication, the moments when a child’s behaviour hurts even when you understand the why, and the importance of separating the person from what is happening in the moment. They also talk about the danger of letting a diagnosis, a file, or somebody else’s prediction become the whole story. This is not a conversation that promises an easy path. It is a conversation about dignity, staying connected, and continuing to see the person when systems only see the problem. Resources mentioned in this episode Comfort Cases https://comfortcases.org/ Learn about hosting a Comfort Cases packing party https://comfortcases.org/packingparty/ Volunteer, host a donation drive, or support Comfort Cases https://comfortcases.org/volunteer/ Contact Comfort Cases about speaking, partnerships, or bringing the work to your area https://comfortcases.org/contact/ Rob’s memoir, A Forever Family: Fostering Change One Child at a Time https://comfortcases.org/more-ways-to-support-us/ Listen to Rob’s Fostering Change podcast https://comfortcases.org/podcasts/ Watch Rob and Reece in Somewhat Familiar, Season 1, Episode 5: Foster Families https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/foster-families/umc.cmc.65ir2q0datcn490zoe79z3s02?showId=umc.cmc.1onsp08upednzqqu3esowinwd Watch Rob and Reece in Dads, directed by Bryce Dallas Howard https://tv.apple.com/ca/movie/dads/umc.cmc.5voyewgcndqj0a3i9mp7hbloq Want to be around caregivers who understand this world? Join the free FASD Forever Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FASDForever Support the show

Carrie McCarter is a speech-language pathologist with a master’s degree who has spent her career working in the birth-to-three world of early intervention. However, when it came to raising her own twins with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), she found that her professional training wasn't enough to navigate the intense dysregulation and sensory challenges at home. In this episode, Carrie opens up about the "professional paradox" of being an expert in child development while feeling like a failure as a parent. She shares the turning point that occurred when she stopped trying to "fix" behaviors and started understanding the unique architecture of the FASD brain. Key Takeaways from the Conversation The Struggle for Diagnosis: Carrie discusses the two-and-a-half-year journey to secure an FASD diagnosis, which finally came when her twins were 10.5 years old.The 10 Brain Domains: Discover how learning about the brain domains was "gut-wrenching yet freeing," allowing Carrie to move from guilt to effective accommodation.Professional vs. Parent: Carrie explains why her twins would "shut down" at school while displaying acting-out behaviors at home, and why traditional parenting techniques often fail these children.The Power of Yet: A look at how Carrie manages the transition into adulthood and why she remains hopeful about the brain’s ability to grow and learn well into the 20s and beyond.Self-Care for the Solo Parent: How Carrie utilizes respite services, online grocery shopping, and "breathing breaks" to stay regulated as a single mother.Resources and Links Free FASD Workshop Registration Join our upcoming free workshops this February to learn a new brain-body approach to managing aggression and building stability. Register Here: https://www.fasdsuccess.com/fasd-workshop-2026 Connect with Carrie McCarter Carrie is a passionate educator and speaker available for training and advocacy sessions.  Email: [email protected]  Watch on YouTube See the full video version of this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7UJh3m9ZAA The FASD Success Show Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to never miss an episode. Support the show

When you’re parenting on high alert for years, your nervous system eventually tries to protect you. Sometimes that protection looks like numbness, irritability, shutdown, or going through the motions. In this episode, Jeff Noble sits down with Michael Harris, known online as FASD Elephant, to break down the science of blocked care and the small, realistic ways caregivers can find their way back to connection. In this episode you’ll hear  • What blocked care is and why it happens when stress stays too high for too long  • How the stress response can shut down your social engagement system and make you feel emotionally flat  • Why anxiety keeps pulling you into worst case futures and how to come back to the present moment  • The difference between self regulation and auto regulation and why auto regulation is the real level up  • A one minute grounding tool you can practice anywhere even when life is loud  • How to use “the gap and the gain” to track real progress when it feels like nothing is changing  • Why grief and ambiguous loss often hide underneath anger and resentment  • How to avoid toxic positivity and build something steadier and more sustainable Start here first  Caregiver Kickstart Workshop (free): https://www.fasdsuccess.com/fasdworkshop2026 Watch the full episode on YouTube  https://youtu.be/2jcTNnkMfR0 Listen on Apple Podcasts  https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-fasd-success-show/id1492499195 Listen on Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/show/6ntB51glqYnRPmXCh6lOGq Resources mentioned  FASD Elephant (Michael Harris): https://www.facebook.com/fasdelephant Michael’s email: [email protected] Michael’s writing hub: https://medium.com/@FASDElephant Praise for Change: https://praiseforchange.com Find FASD Success  Website: https://www.fasdsuccess.com Free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FASDforever Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FASDSuccess Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FASDSuccess YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FASDSUCCESS Support the show

Episode #187 The FASD Brain and Connectivity with Dr. Raja Mukherjee What if many of the struggles we see in FASD are not about behavior at all but about how the brain sends and receives messages? In this episode of The FASD Success Show, Jeff Noble sits down with Dr. Raja Mukherjee, one of the world’s leading experts in FASD psychiatry and brain development, to explore what brain connectivity really means for individuals living with FASD across the lifespan. Dr. Mukherjee explains how prenatal alcohol exposure affects the way different parts of the brain communicate with each other and why this can show up as inconsistency, fatigue, emotional overwhelm, and difficulty with daily life tasks even when someone appears capable on the surface. Together, Jeff and Dr. Mukherjee unpack why independence is often the wrong goal, how interdependence supports regulation and mental health, and what caregivers can do differently when they understand the brain through a connectivity lens. In This Episode You’ll Hear • What brain connectivity is and why it matters more than IQ or motivation  • How miscommunication between brain regions affects regulation, memory, and behavior  • Why skills can look “there one day and gone the next”  • How stress and overload disrupt already fragile brain networks  • Why total independence is not a realistic or healthy end goal for many adults with FASD  • How interdependence supports long term success and wellbeing  • What caregivers and systems get wrong when they focus on compliance instead of connection Why This Episode Matters This conversation helps caregivers, professionals, and individuals with FASD move away from blame and toward understanding. When you see challenges as connectivity issues rather than character flaws, everything changes including expectations, support strategies, and outcomes. Dr. Mukherjee brings decades of clinical experience and research insight to a topic that caregivers have been living for years. This episode offers clarity, validation, and a brain based framework you can actually use at home and in advocacy conversations. Listen and Watch Listen on Apple Podcasts  https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-fasd-success-show/id1492499195 Listen on Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/show/6ntB51glqYnRPmXCh6lOGq Watch on YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@FASDSuccess Resources and Links Learn more about The FASD Success Show  https://www.fasdsuccess.com/podcast Join our free parent and caregiver community  https://www.facebook.com/groups/FASDFOREVER Follow Jeff Noble  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/FASDSuccess Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FASDSuccess Subscribe to the YouTube Channel  https://www.youtube.com/@FASDSuccess You are not failing. You are responding to a brain that connects differently. And when we understand the brain, we can build better support, better days at home, and a better future. Support the show

What if independence is not the finish line we should be chasing for individuals with FASD? In this episode of The FASD Success Show, Jeff Noble sits down with Chris Fillion, an adult on the FASD spectrum, foster parent, and national advocate, to talk honestly about what adulthood with FASD really looks like when support is done right. Chris shares his lived experience navigating mental health challenges, the justice system, social services, and burnout, and how everything changed when the focus shifted from doing life alone to building the right team around him. Today, Chris is the Vice President of the Manitoba FASD Coalition and the Executive Director of FASD Mentors of Change, helping reshape how systems understand success for adults with FASD. This conversation challenges one of the most exhausting myths caregivers carry, the belief that success means total independence. Instead, Jeff and Chris explore why interdependence, regulation, and community support are the real foundations for long term stability and growth. In This Episode You’ll Hear • Why independence is often the wrong goal for adults with FASD  • What adulthood with FASD actually looks like beyond the labels  • How anxiety treatment and mental health support can unlock capacity  • Why having a support team is a strategy, not a failure  • How lived experience advocacy is changing systems from the inside  • What caregivers can learn about planning for the long game Why It Matters So many caregivers lie awake worrying about the future, wondering if their loved one will ever be okay on their own. This episode offers a powerful reframe. Success is not about doing everything alone. It is about building a life that works with the brain you have, supported by people who understand it. Chris’s story is proof that progress is real, timelines are different, and with the right scaffolding, adults with FASD can build meaningful, connected lives. Resources and Links FASD Mentors of Change  https://fasdmentorsofchange.ca Chris Fillion  https://chrisfillion.ca Manitoba FASD Coalition  https://www.fasdcoalition.ca New Directions  https://newdirections.mb.ca Join our free FASD Success Facebook Group  https://www.facebook.com/groups/fasdforever Watch full episodes on YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@FASDSuccess Follow Jeff on Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/FASDSuccess Full show notes and resources  https://www.fasdsuccess.com/podcast Support the show

Trigger warning: This episode discusses suicide, self-harm, and mental health crises. In this powerful and compassionate conversation, Jeff Noble sits down with Dr. Carly McMorris — clinical psychologist, associate professor at the University of Calgary, and leading FASD researcher — to talk about one of the hardest and most important topics in the FASD community: mental health. They break down how to recognize the signs of crisis, why individuals with FASD experience such high rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidality, and how caregivers can respond with calm, informed strategies instead of fear. You’ll learn:  • Why up to 90% of individuals with FASD experience mental health challenges  • How to tell the difference between a bad day and a mental health crisis  • Why “go low and go slow” works — for your loved one and for you  • How to use the FASD Mental Health Toolkit in real life  • What caregivers can do when the system doesn’t respond  • The hope behind new research on mental health and suicidality in FASD If you’ve ever felt scared, unsure, or alone in supporting your loved one’s mental health, this episode will give you knowledge, validation, and tools to move from fear to understanding. Resources & Links 🔗 Mental Health Toolkit: canfasd.ca/mental-health-toolkit 🎧 Episode 141 with Emma Jewell: fasdsuccess.com/blog/141-discover-a-new-mental-health-tool-with-emma-jewell 🎧 Episode with Dr. Jacqueline Pei: fasdsuccess.com/blog/FetalAlcoholSyndromementalhealth Join Our Community Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/FASDforever Follow Jeff Instagram: instagram.com/FASDSuccess Facebook: facebook.com/FASDSuccess YouTube: youtube.com/@FASDSuccess Listen or Watch Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube Support the show

Episode 184: Laurie Anderson The Power of Showing Up What if success as a caregiver wasn’t about getting everything right, but about showing up again and again? In this heartfelt episode of The FASD Success Show, Jeff Noble sits down with long time community leader and coach Laurie Anderson to talk about what it really means to keep going through the hardest seasons of caregiving with compassion, connection, and calm. Laurie shares her journey from confusion to confidence, what she’s learned from years of moderating our 5,000 member FASD community, and how she’s redefining success after retirement and decades of advocacy. In This Episode You’ll Hear  • Why consistency and connection regulate the brain better than perfection  • How Polyvagal Theory explains why community calms the nervous system  • What success looks like when you measure by regulation, not results  • Why rest and recovery are just as important as advocacy and action  • How Laurie’s story can help you see your own progress even on the hard days This conversation is part science, part story, and full of heart. A reminder that you don’t have to fix it all. You just have to keep showing up  Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FASDSuccess Join our Free Caregiver Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FASDFOREVER Follow Jeff on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FASDSuccess Full Show Notes: https://www.fasdsuccess.com/podcast Support the show

What really happens as people with FASD grow into adulthood and beyond? In this episode of The FASD Success Show, Jeff Noble sits down with Dr. Valerie Temple to talk about brand-new Canadian research exploring how the FASD brain and body change with age — and what families, caregivers, and professionals need to know to support lifelong success. Dr. Temple and her team analyzed data from over 400 adults across Canada to compare younger adults (18–24) with older adults (35+). What they found challenges a lot of assumptions about FASD, aging, and the brain. In This Episode You’ll Learn • Why older adults with FASD aren’t “less affected,” but show different patterns of strengths and challenges • How executive function and attention improve for many adults, while memory and physical health issues increase • Why substance use and mental health struggles remain high across adulthood — and what helps most • How diagnosis and support systems can evolve to meet changing needs over time • What this research means for caregivers, families, and self-advocates navigating adulthood Why It Matters For years, most FASD research has focused on children and youth. Dr. Temple’s 2025 study is one of the first to look closely at aging in FASD, providing real data on what support looks like across a lifetime. The big takeaway: the FASD brain doesn’t stop changing. It adapts, learns, and keeps building new pathways. With the right support, growth and connection are possible at every age. Watch the Full Interview YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZpjr6YGxH8 Listen to the Episode Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-fasd-success-show/id1492499195 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ntB51glqYnRPmXCh6lOGq?si=f006bfa2966d4972 Resources & Links • Read the full study: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD): Comparing profiles of younger versus older adults • Join our free Parent & Caregiver Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FASDFOREVER • Follow Jeff on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FASDSuccess • Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FASDSuccess • Visit our website for show notes and articles: https://www.fasdsuccess.com/blog/new-research-on-fasd-and-aging-what-families-need-to-know Support the show

What happens after the diagnosis? In this episode of The FASD Success Show, Jeff Noble sits down with Joseph Munn, an adult with FASD who’s building a life that works, not one that’s defined by expectations. Joseph opens up about what it felt like to finally understand his brain, how interdependence and technology help him stay regulated, and what community really means in adulthood. From gaming and advocacy to the one-dollar house that changed his life, Joseph’s story reminds us that success isn’t about doing it all, it’s about doing what works. You’ll hear  • What finally made sense after Joseph’s FASD diagnosis  • How he manages overwhelm, anxiety, and independence  • Why interdependence, not isolation, builds true stability  • How gaming, technology, and VR became tools for connection  • What parents can take away about hope, adaptation, and acceptance Why It Matters This episode is a real look at life after diagnosis, the challenges, the wins, and the ongoing process of building a future shaped by possibility, not perfection. Resources and Links Join our FASD Success Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/FASDForever Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@FASDSuccess Follow Jeff on Instagram: instagram.com/FASDSuccess Full show notes: fasdsuccess.com/podcast Support the show

In this episode of The FASD Success Show, Jeff Noble sits down with Sophie Harrington, CEO of NOFASD Australia, to talk about what happens when caregivers stop chasing perfection and start building holidays  and lives that actually fit their families’ nervous systems. Sophie is a mom, advocate, and birth parent who’s turned her personal story into national leadership. Together, Jeff and Sophie dig into the power of reframing guilt, setting boundaries, and parenting differently without apology. They unpack how shame and expectations weigh on caregivers, and how understanding the brain  not just behavior  can lift that load for good. In This Episode You’ll Learn Why the holidays feel so emotionally heavy — and how neuroscience explains itWhat happens in the brain when guilt turns chronic and how to stop the cycleThe difference between connection and performance in caregivingWhy “doing less” is not giving up — it’s giving your brain a chance to recoverHow Sophie’s journey from birth mom to CEO became a model of what advocacy can really look likeWhy It Matters Caregivers often measure success by what they do, not how they feel — but the brain science says the opposite.  A regulated caregiver leads to a regulated child.  When we stop apologizing for doing things differently, we stop surviving the holidays and start shaping them to work for us. Watch or Listen to the Full Episode YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEko0ghA4iw Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-fasd-success-show/id1492499195 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ntB51glqYnRPmXCh6lOGq?si=f006bfa2966d4972 Resources and Links Join our Free Caregiver Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FASDFOREVER Follow Jeff on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FASDSuccess Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FASDSUCCESS Full Show Notes and Resources: https://www.fasdsuccess.com/podcast Support the show

The holidays are here, and for a lot of caregivers raising individuals with FASD, this isn’t the season of calm and cozy. It’s the season where routines explode, nerves fray, school schedules flip, people show up unannounced, and you’re trying to keep everyone safe while the world tells you to “make memories.” That’s why all month long, The FASD Success Show is bringing you the Holiday Sanity Series — conversations that unpack the science, the stress, and the strategies that actually make life work for families like ours. And to kick things off, I’m joined by Melissa Dobson, caregiver, mom of three teens, and Co-Chair of the Family Advisory Committee at CanFASD. Melissa’s story is one that every caregiver will recognize. She’s been through the system fights, the school meetings, the sleepless nights, and the constant rebuilding that happens after everything falls apart. But instead of letting it break her, she’s learned how to take the hard stuff, the setbacks, the overwhelm, the sh*t life throws at you, and turn it into rocket fuel. In This Episode You’ll Hear Why you can’t fight every battle and why that’s not weakness. Chronic advocacy keeps your body in survival mode. The brain doesn’t know the difference between emotional stress and physical danger. It releases cortisol and adrenaline either way. Melissa shares how she learned to pause, recover, and fight from a place of regulation instead of burnout. How rebuilding routines repairs the brain. For individuals with FASD, predictability equals safety. Every time you rebuild after chaos, you’re helping the brain re-establish order, calm the amygdala, and bring the thinking brain back online. Connection isn’t a luxury. It’s co-regulation. When we connect with someone who feels safe, our brains release oxytocin, the chemical that quiets the stress response. Melissa explains how community and shared experience have helped her stay grounded and steady her kids through hard seasons. Letting things fall apart isn’t failure. It’s flexibility. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stop holding everything together. Letting go of old routines and traditions that don’t fit your child’s needs isn’t giving up. It’s creating space for the brain to adapt and grow in new ways. Advocacy works best when you’re regulated. When your nervous system is calm, your prefrontal cortex — the part responsible for reasoning, empathy, and problem-solving — stays engaged. Melissa shows how advocacy rooted in regulation creates real change instead of constant exhaustion. Why It Matters This season isn’t about perfection. It’s about protection. When you build your holidays around regulation instead of expectation, your family’s nervous systems can actually handle the joy. Regulated brains learn better, connect better, and recover faster. And that includes yours. Melissa’s story reminds us that you can’t control everything that comes your way, but you can decide what to do with it. You can turn frustration into focus. You can turn chaos into clarity. And yes, you can turn sh*t into rocket fuel. Because regulation isn’t the reward you get for surviving the season. It’s the foundation that makes everything else possible. That’s your one good thing this week. Resources & Links Connect with Melissa Dobson Co-Chair, Family Advisory Committee — CanFASD.ca Join Our Community Free Caregiver Group: facebook.com/groups/FASDforever Watch & Listen YouTube: FASD Success Channel A Support the show

The scans are in, and they tell a different story. Dr. Catherine Lebel, Canada’s leading FASD brain imaging researcher, joins Jeff Noble to share what MRI research reveals about how the brain develops after prenatal alcohol exposure and why the story is far more hopeful than most people think. Through years of ground breaking studies, Dr. Lebel and her team have shown that the FASD brain doesn’t stop growing. It just grows differently and on its own timeline. Her work connects science and lived experience, giving caregivers something we all need more of: evidence-based hope. In this conversation, Jeff and Dr. Lebel talk about:  • How brain development continues well into adulthood  • Why stable, loving environments can support brain growth  • What slower development really means in everyday life  • Why interventions are never wasted, even when progress feels slow  • How families can join the PEACH Study to help move FASD research forward Dr. Lebel’s message is simple but powerful. The brain is still growing, still learning, and still capable of change. Different doesn’t mean broken. It means still developing. Watch the full episode YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FASDSuccess Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-fasd-success-show/id1492499195 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ntB51glqYnRPmXCh6lOGq?si=f006bfa2966d4972 Connect with Jeff Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/FASDforever YouTube: @FASDSuccess Instagram: @FASDSuccess Full show notes: fasdsuccess.com/podcast Support the show

What if your loved one with FASD’s brain wasn’t misfiring — it was miss-messaging? In this powerful episode, Jeff sits down with Dr. Long from the University of Calgary’s Developmental Neuroimaging Lab, one of the key researchers on Dr. Catherine Lebel’s team, to uncover what really happens inside the brain after prenatal alcohol exposure. Dr. Long explains how the brain’s network — the system that keeps messages moving between regions — changes after prenatal alcohol exposure, and what that means for learning, behavior, and everyday regulation. Together, they unpack how the brain adapts, reroutes, and finds new ways to communicate, even when signals get jammed. In This Episode You’ll Hear • Why FASD is less about “broken” wiring and more about “busy” messaging systems  • How even low levels of prenatal alcohol exposure can alter brain development  • What “compensation” means — and how the brain finds detours to keep working  • Why fatigue, frustration, and “I won’t” moments are signs of overload, not defiance  • How supportive environments and calm routines help the brain stabilize and grow  • The resilience behind the science — and why hope is more than just a feeling Why It Matters This episode is a reminder that behaviors aren’t failures  they’re feedback. Dr. Long’s work helps caregivers, teachers, and professionals see FASD through a brain-based lens, turning frustration into understanding and burnout into compassion. Different doesn’t mean broken  it means we need to look deeper, respond smarter, and keep believing that change is possible. Resources & Links Join our FASD Success Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/FASDforever Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@FASDSuccess Follow Jeff on Instagram: instagram.com/FASDSuccess Full show notes: fasdsuccess.com/podcast Support the show

What if mental health and behavior weren’t just about the brain, but also about the body? In this fascinating conversation, Jeff sits down with Dr. Tamara Bodnar, a biological scientist and researcher at the University of Calgary, whose work is changing how we understand FASD from the inside out. Dr. Bodnar studies the gut–brain axis — the constant communication between our digestive system and our brain — and how prenatal alcohol exposure can disrupt that balance for life. Her groundbreaking research reveals how gut health, inflammation, and stress all shape behavior, mood, and regulation in ways caregivers see every day. Together, Jeff and Dr. Bodnar explore how small, realistic shifts like balanced meals, hydration, and consistent routines can support both body and brain. They also talk about what’s next in FASD science, including probiotics, personalized medicine, and new collaborations that bring caregivers and researchers together. In this episode you’ll learn how prenatal alcohol exposure affects gut health and stress regulation, why inflammation can amplify mood and behavior, and how to make simple, guilt-free choices that help create calm from the inside out. This episode reminds us that behavior isn’t just communication — it’s biology. When we understand how the body and brain talk to each other, we can replace frustration with compassion and find hope in small, steady changes. Dr. Bodnar’s work validates what families have always known in their gut: small steps matter, and progress starts from the inside out. You’re not alone. You’re doing better than you think. Resources and Links Join our FASD Success Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/FASDforever Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @FASDSuccess Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Follow Jeff on Instagram: @FASDSuccess Full show notes: fasdsuccess.com/podcast Support the show