CJ's page
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Peter's Story
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C.J's Page

C.J. lives in Western Canada and I want to think her very much for taking the time and effort to write this piece.  She was more than willing to do it and I hope it will help people understand how it feels to live with FAS

Things I would like teachers to know

I have FAS

It is a birth defect caused by the mother drinking while she is pregnant.  I am small, I have a different face (not too noticeable anymore), bone problems and Lots of Learning problems.

Mom's do not do this on purpose

Do not be mean or mad or blame them

I am 17 years old and have had FAS all my life

I will have it forever

It will never go away

Don't be mean or mad or blame me

• I always try my best

• I am NOT lazy

• Telling me to try harder does NOT help

• Lighten the work load

• I Need Extra Time to complete work (accept me being late in handing in work)

• Explain things simply

• I need things to be repeated Many, Many times

• I need minimum distractions (noise, people, sounds and other visuals)

• I don't get hyper on purpose - I can't help it, I would like to but I can't

• There are some things I cannot learn no matter what!! Or who teaches it

• I get frustrated easily, when I can't do things I think I am supposed to

• I learn things slower than other people

• I don't mean to forget home work

• I am not trying to be annoying on purpose

• I move around at my desk a lot of times (fidgeting)

• I Lose A Lot of Things!!!!!!(like textbooks)

• I can't pay attention for a long time

• I forget many things (not on purpose - I get as frustrated as the teacher!!!)

• I need to ask a lot of questions - sometimes the same one over and over

• I am not good at organisation (I need Lots of help)

• I have trouble telling time and I don't know how long classes are  I don't understand how time works

• I don't mean to be late for class

• I need to do things in the same order all the time - if I don't my whole day gets messed up

• I need expectations I can meet - different from the other kids

• My hand writing and drawing skills suck!!! I have trouble with eye-hand co-ordination.  I can use a computer and it can check my spelling too

• I love gym but I have hard time balancing

• Other kids are sometimes a little nasty to me (they don't like anyone different or slower)

• Combination locks are impossible (you have to do many directions)

• I need people to talk to me in small words and to slow down when they talk to me so I can understand what they are talking about

• DO NOT GIVE UP ON TEACHING ME - I CAN LEARN LOTS OF THINGS - JUST DIFFERENT THINGS

By CJ

These are my own thoughts from experience.  I wrote this myself.  I think these things are true or similar for most kids with FAS