I’m Adrienne Ehlert Bashista, a writer, publisher, special needs parent advocate, and FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder) educator. I live in central North Carolina with my husband and two boys.

I currently write and speak  about parenting kids with invisible special needs, adoption, FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) homeschooling and alternatives to the traditional classroom. I conduct workshops for parents and professionals about taking a brain-based approach to FASD and other neuro-behavioral disorders, and I am the co-editor of and a contributor to Easy to Love but Hard to Raise: Real Parents, Challenging Kids, True Stories. I am also the director of F.A.F.A.S.D.: Families Affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, a non-profit organization that provides training, family camps and parent retreats, and promotes understanding of FASD as it impacts individuals and families.

I believe that parents are the true experts on their children, and that parenting children with brain-based disabilities like ADHD, OCD, SPD, PDD, PBD, or any number of other alphabet soup diagnoses that largely impact a child’s behavior is one of the most stressful parenting situations there is. I also believe that in order to effectively advocate we must find a way to take care of ourselves, including finding good support networks, whether in person or on-line.  I blog about this issues frequently on the Easy to Love but Hard to Raise blog and A Mom’s View of ADHD and I run the Facebook groups for both.