I take referrals for both native and non native foster kids, the kids themselves are all pretty similar, complex behavioral issues around addiction and oppositional conduct disorder, ADD and the like.
Every native kid is labeled 'possibly fetal alcohol spectrum disorder' almost none of my white kids is labeled that (diagnosing FASD is complex and expensive) even though their backgrounds and behaviors are all but identical.
I have sat in a meeting and had to restrain one of my native kids as his social worker kept insisting he might be FASD even though he had no cognative issues that had been observed and his mother who had admitted extensive drug use was quite clear, and I quote, 'I have done a lot of stupid things as a mother but I never drank when I was pregnant' she was in tears as this dumb arse social worker kept going on about possible FASD issues in front of a room full of people, maybe 8 or 9.
Even if there had been issues that indicated FASD they treated the mother like it was no big deal to accuse her of giving her kid brain damage by drinking in front of a room full of people, it was a hideous day but in no way unusual
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