Ann sits down with Jodee Kulp to tell her daughter Liz’s story and to pull out the practical lessons families need when they are raising a child with FASD, , trauma histories, or any kind of neurodivergence.
We talk talk about strength-based opportunities that helped Liz create meaning, and how the disability system can still punish competence by threatening supports the moment someone shows what they can do with accommodations.
Then the conversation turns to the dangerous stuff people do not warn you about: the cliff at 18 when supports vanish but the brain stays the same, addiction and recovery, and what “attuned support” really looks like in IEP meetings, courtrooms, emergency rooms, and hospital wards. Jodee explains being a “cognitive translator” or external brain, how to keep someone’s voice intact, and why staying regulated as a caregiver can prevent escalation. We also get concrete about healthcare advocacy: medication fillers and excipients, paradoxical drug reactions, FDA resources, and why pharmacogenomic testing can matter.
At the heart of it all is the iridescent spoon, a small object that holds grief, resilience, spoon theory, and joy even as chronic illness and caregiving demands intensify. If this story changes how one professional listens or how one family asks for help, it is worth telling. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review with one takeaway you are carrying forward.
