Aggressive. Manipulative. Lazy...?" Why We're Getting FASD Behaviour Wrong

Antonia Rathbun Lindsey, an internationally recognised art therapist and FASD specialist with 40 years of experience, joins Dr. Inyang Takon to reframe how we understand behaviour in children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Drawing on her own experience as a late-deafened clinician who learned to adapt her own body, and her years working within an Afrocentric family reunification programme, Antonia explains why alcohol exposure in pregnancy disrupts neuronal development, why children with FASD often can't "read" their own distress (interoception), and why what looks like defiance is frequently a nervous system stuck at threshold — what she calls a "bristle attack." She shares concrete, play-based strategies for helping children regulate and shows why "workarounds, not stops" changes outcomes for families. **Key Takeaways for Parents and Teachers:** - FASD is caused by alcohol exposure in pregnancy — it's the most preventable cause of intellectual disability, and no amount of alcohol during pregnancy is considered safe. - Children with FASD often struggle with interoception — the ability to sense and signal their own overwhelm — so meltdowns are often prolonged "episodes," not typical tantrums. - Labels like "aggressive" or "manipulative" often describe survival responses to sensory overload, not the child's character. - Physical, sensory-based interventions (deep pressure, movement, rhythm) can help a dysregulated child re-organise faster than verbal redirection alone. - Supporting these families means acknowledging intergenerational trauma and cultural context — not just clinical symptoms. **Resources Mentioned:** - *Parenting Your Porcupine: A Toolkit for Children with FASD, Other Drug Effects, and Neurodiversity* by Antonia Rathbun Lindsey — available via Books.by (English, French; German translation in progress) - The Lewis Protocol - SAMHSA's FAS Centers for Excellence - Canada's British Columbia Ministry of Education - State of Alaska Drug & Alcohol Services **Connect with Dr. Inyang Takon:** Website: www.drtakon.com General Information for Parents: www.school-doctor.com Questions? Email: [eim@drtakon.com](mailto:eim@drtakon.com) LinkedIn: Connect with Dr. Takon Subscribe: Ask a Developmental Paediatrician Read: Braindiverse Substack Guest enquiries: [podcast@drtakon.com](mailto:podcast@drtakon.com) Support the show **Resources & Connect with Dr. Inyang Takon:** Website: www.drtakon.com General Information for Parents www.school-doctor.com Questions? Email Us at [eim@drtakon.com](mailto:eim@drtakon.com) Connect on LinkedIn Subscribe to Ask a Developmental Paediatrician  Read our SUBSTACK Articles for Short Simple Smart tips for parents, health professionals  Guest enquiries: podcast@drtakon.com