Siblings with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (An Adoption Story)

[@ChristinaCatFoster]

These children are more self-aware and articulate than most adults! They are incredibly intelligent; they just learn in a different way.

[@FangtasticASMR]

I totally agree! Very bright family :)

[@its__justb]

Couldn't agree more, especially with that closing statement.

[@furbabies3937]

I agree but with a different family the dads not nice look at kids when he talks n he stares at them to say shut up, I’ve been that child I know I want to help them. So sad there still in pain 🦋

[@ChristinaCatFoster]

@@furbabies3937 Do you have any evidence of these accusations other than your own projections? It's not cool to spread false rumors and slander people without proof. These types of comments hurt people and cause damage and should never be said lightly.

[@SexyJ1991]

They truly are way more articulate than me that’s for sure 😂

[@julialori4591]

12:00 "Just because they know more than me, doesn't mean they are smarter than me." That was very well-spoken and powerful.

[@iamcleaver6854]

No, they are smarter not because they know more; they are smarter because they are able to acquire skills and knowledge at a faster rate

[@BryanSalyersXD]

@@iamcleaver6854 Look, man, you're right, okay? Just let the people have this one. To a lot of people being correct about something doesn't make it good, being kind is what matters.

[@AfG_313]

@@BryanSalyersXD nah bro no more handing out trophies to everyone

[@shvannon8223]

@@iamcleaver6854 realistically yes others may be smarter because they’re brain functions normally lol

[@kittensure8834]

knowing more doesn’t make you smarter. it makes you more knowledgeable. these kids clearly have the capability of learning just not at the same speed as people without their disorder. they are also quite introspective and understanding for their ages despite their disorders.

[@DrinkYourNailPolish]

I just wanna let her know not to feel alone. My brother and I were adopted as infants so we never knew our birth mothers. My mom says we came from her heart. ❤

[@Banoinkey]

Very meaningful, but I can’t take it too serious with ur KZbin name😂

[@shalacarter6658]

That is what I tell my daughter! I carried her brothers in my womb and her in my heart!

[@angeladomer4813]

🥰

[@Am3lia77]

@@Banoinkey XD, thanks for pointing that out

[@NOVOLITION]

I love drinking nail polish, it’s got a very sweet and tingly aroma to it

[@ladysaturn3876]

I absolutely love that the parents let the kids dress however they wanted for this! It's so important to nurture their creativity , the kid in the super hero costume and the other kid in the pinstripe suit are killing it

[@designer-mama]

I was just thinking that ❤

[@livylu6287]

When I let my 15-year-old daughter dye her hair half black and half purple… I had a lot of people praising me for letting her be herself. I’ll be honest, it kind of took me back. It made me realize how many people really don’t let their children express themselves.😢

[@ivonevieira4948]

A menina de terno listrado

[@IonizedComa]

​@livylu6287 where I live dyed hair in school would get you expelled, actually also for boys any hair slightly longer than a buzz cut would also get you expelled. So the blame isn't the fault of parents only but also society

[@Lashizzarelli]

Exactly!

[@lavenderwashington5337]

Invisible disabilities are so hard to deal with, and I'm very happy they have a strong support system. The family is lovely, and all the kids are so smart. I hope they keep doing the things they love, no matter how old they get!

[@HeidiAndScots]

Facial features have a commonality for FAS

[@ashlouw5350]

People that don't know wouldn't notice it. My son is on the spectrum and it isn't that noticeable until you spend a little time with him ,you start t notice it

[@lavenderwashington5337]

@@HeidiAndScots but if one isn't aware of those features, or possibly things of another disability that arent immediately visible it's harder to explain to people sometimes.

[@myheartwillstopinjoy8142]

As someone with an invisible disability I agree!

[@alleycat1387]

Preach with everything you said! We may sometimes look normal and functional normally like everyone else, but when people start to get to know our "quirks", I feel like they expect more out of us and just don't get the struggles. For the most part I look normal except when I talk and walk. Never had a leg brace when I was learning to walk and my parents never took me to take speech therapy. So I pretty much seem normal up until I open up my mouth and walk lol. I had such struggles with getting a job (didn't get one until I was in my early 20s whereas everyone I knew had one at 16), didn't want to blame my mom who drank a lot when she had me, and didn't want to reveal my weaknesses because they wouldn't hire me once I told it to them. I still feel blessed in a way because those who have invisible disabilities or any disability for that matter tend to be more humbled (great people) and see things/learn things that even people who grew up normal don't.

[@Chiggianya]

It is powerful when her mom says they don’t even speak negatively about their biological parents. That is incredibly compassionate and still recognizes the humanity of their birth parents❤️

[@JazzyB9481]

I appreciated that too. And at the same time, the daughter felt comfortable enough being honest about how she felt about her bio mother too. You can tell they feel comfortable sharing their full feelings with their parents

[@JamesLaCoste-j8e]

Did you think she was going to tell the truth in this kind of video?

[@scheibe2791]

Alexis don’t worry about what happened at the DMV, everyone who goes there feels like crying at some point 😅

[@williamkelly5689]

Yeah I've got 120 IQ and can't handle paperwork

[@JamiesLife]

Facts

[@barbaragremaud3499]

so true!

[@saraheifler309]

I've certainly cried there!

[@yahsharelscrown7647]

🤣

[@esthefanyrivera4381]

"Making friends isnt a problem its keeping them " that is so absolutely true for so many of us

[@bazkervillerouge750]

They are so articulated and charming. Tremendous triumph for the human spirit.

[@SolidSiren]

They sure are! FAS isn't easy, and idk how severe theirs is or how much they've worked, but it's a big struggle no matter what. Life is hard sometimes for EVERYONE.

[@XXccvm]

Articulate.

[@aj96614]

Both are very clever girls, and I’m not just saying that.

[@AsktheSpirits]

My 17 yr old son has memory problems and has a hard time sometimes with his words bc he was hit by a car when he was 11. Yet he will be graduating h.s. This year and off to university. Don’t let nothing stop you girls.💪💚

[@Avocadosareyummy]

Congratulations, may your son may live a happy life

[@quanyewhite2249]

That’s awesome

[@nerysghemor5781]

This taught me that FAS can be an invisible disability. I would never have known they had to deal with that, if they hadn’t said it. I’m glad this family understands that some of us genuinely want to learn.

[@cassieroach3957]

I have FAS, when I tell people they’re always surprised.

[@bibilette7720]

Yeah. Same. Diagnosed FASD ARND. People are always surprised. It's just easier to say ADHD haha which was another diagnosis.

[@alienlarry]

They literally have more intelligence than a lot of adults i know. To be so well spoken and articulate at such a young age is impressive

[@SymetricRaven]

Listen clown, I understand you trying to be nice and everything. However if the adults you low are less intelligent than these children, that’s a serious problem. They have an experience most don’t . That of course offers them a different perspective.

[@milimommi3.098]

I agree, they are really intelligent.

[@bananabrain2996]

@@SymetricRaven genuinely most of the adults ik are way less intelligent than them, that's just the truth

[@sophiecolon6739]

@@SymetricRaven lmfao why does it anger you so much. it wasn’t an attack against you. sit down LMFAOAOO

[@bamboo___]

@@SymetricRaven no I have met adults that are not this articulate, shut up, ;)

[@kate1979]

I hope these kids know that just because you may have trouble learning in school, really doesn't mean you aren't smart. These kids have a better grasp of language and are more well-spoken than others at their age. Knowing how to be resourceful (looking things up that you don't understand), resilient (you can tell these kids don't give up when the going gets hard) and creative (sewing and play are skills!) are big parts to being intelligent. All of these kids have bright futures. I wish them the best.

[@fatzy9500]

Thank you for pointing that out, it's 100% true.

[@movinon1242]

The lessons they are learning now (about how to learn and overcome challenges) are going to give them an advantage in the long run. A lot of young folks today have been so sheltered that at the first hint of adversity they melt down. These children are going to run rings around those coddled kiddies!

[@stuperduper_8782]

Yessss!!!!!

[@marylemma9932]

Couldn't agree more, they are so well spoken!

[@aminaar5483]

yes so elevated! other kids are addicted to their phones and often rude

[@JoseMartinez-ig4lx]

They seem childlike at heart but highly intelligent for their age, quite the enigma.

[@brucethedruid]

Because they are intelligent children. No enigma there. FAS affects a specific part of the brain. Motor coordination is impacted, thus her struggle to speak and communicate.

[@brucethedruid]

Because they are intelligent children. No enigma there. FAS affects a specific part of the brain. Motor coordination is impacted, thus her struggle to speak and communicate.

[@brucethedruid]

Because they are intelligent children. No enigma there. FAS affects a specific part of the brain. Motor coordination is impacted, thus her struggle to speak and communicate.

[@shadowcat6832]

I don't have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, but I'm autistic and have ADHD, as well as a number of other things, and I totally relate to what they're describing about not fitting in and having lots of trouble at school. Schools need to do a much better job accommodating everyone.

[@globalprincess5471]

I agree

[@Aloszka7]

Same 🙌 agree

[@Maggot_infestedd]

Agreed

[@krystals1431]

Agree

[@cherylcarampot3268]

My son as well.

[@nikkibailey5439]

I’m a mom and an addict in recovery I get my daughter back tomorrow and seeing this video makes every struggle and tear worth the fight for my daughter. I’m so glad I didn’t take the easy way out💜😉

[@lavendertease]

Keep going! I’m so happy for you!!!

[@cheesecake7274]

You can do it

[@naomi.cannibal]

proud of you!

[@YouTubeBlueButterflies]

Good luck to you ma'am, I feel you can overcome this. Name it and then claim it!!!

[@kimberlysevastyanenko3798]

You've got this!!

[@andrewmccann9710]

These parents have absolutely nailed it. ALL the kids so polite and eloquent, and clearly love and support each other so much. And to top it off, all confident to wear whatever they want. Dad is just sitting there silent so proud of his family, and damn he should be.

[@tantrika.exotica]

💜💙💚💛🧡❤

[@mariekatherine5238]

I’ve encountered two older children who were diagnosed with FAS at ages 11 and 13. Somehow, they’d stumbled their way through grades four and five, but were way behind. I was doing an experimental resource program and spotted their problems almost right away. They were both extremely pleasant, kind, and eager to please. What they’re saying here about how to approach learning is so true. Neither was able to graduate high school, but so what? One is married with two children. The other lives with his brother’s family and has a full-time job in a store. They’re doing fine and are contributing members of society.

[@kayleelogan151]

Her talking about looking up every word in a sentence wanting to make sure people know she’s smart, kinda broke my heart! She’s already smarter than so many people in the world. Vocabulary doesn’t define intelligence

[@WorkHardBeNice]

So proud of these strong, capable young ladies. My youngest sister was born with FAS, microcephaly and clubbed feet. She is adopted but she is MY baby sister, from day one. We were told early on that we shouldn't expect much of her but today, she is the first in our family to graduate from college and works full time. All the best to these precious girls and their family.

[@xoelisamarie]

what amazing children. that lil brother melted my heart

[@KingZealotTactics]

Spider man? yeah kid is cool af.

[@lisan8561]

The most common manifestation of prenatal exposure to alcohol is the neuro-behavioral-devopmental effects, which you can't SEE. This is a beautiful family, the parents and all the kids love each other so much.

[@liu.calazans]

I feel happier to see adopted siblings together. Here in Brazil this is even common, the priority is for siblings to be adopted together, but unfortunately I see that many countries are not like that.

[@ginnyrosalia]

I’m a teacher, and I wish other teachers and myself had a smaller caseload so we can get to know families and advocate for them when administration doesn’t. I love this family

[@LovelyRuthie]

Over the years I have met & taught several young people with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. One of the toughest things that makes independence challenging is poor executive function, being able to remember things, to do those things in the right order etc. The Homesteads ensuring that the family home & routine is structured is absolutely the best thing for their adopted children because it's the best chance for things to 'stick'. Structure, repetition & more time. It's such a shame the education system can't acknowledge these incredible kid's needs. Invisible disability is misunderstood, underestimated & under supported. What really struck me in this interview though, was how self-aware & how self-advocating the Homestead kids are. Such a lovely family.

[@movinon1242]

Well said!

[@krystingrant6292]

Definitely me

[@LovelyRuthie]

@@krystingrant6292 you struggle with EF?

[@julierandle1404]

Wow. 💘 love.

[@kekkelpenneypeckeltoot5700]

I’m very upset with whoever told these girls they “can’t” anything. They may learn and or retain differently but they’re so intelligent as well as articulate. Everyone looses words, mixes up words etc. It’s ok. You’re a sou fine exactly how you are! You CAN do anything.

[@charlotteharris6951]

Exactly this! I mean, I'm constantly messing up words and getting things mixed up but my mom had a "normal" pregnancy with me. People are just different and I don't think these children should be told they can't do certain things just because of fetal alcohol syndrome.

[@skrittle555]

honestly, i know this is supposed to be encouraging, but as someone with several chronic disabilities, i don't want to be told that i "can do anything." sometimes i can't. and it's really discouraging when your family lies to you and says you can do "anything" and then you feel like it's your fault when you can't. i want to be told that whatever i am able to do, it is enough. and it is okay.

[@skrittle555]

@Donnell Okafor well said. agreed.

[@kekkelpenneypeckeltoot5700]

@@skrittle555 I also have multiple disabilities. Don’t limit me with what you think I can or can’t do. Please tell me I can do anything. If you want to limit yourself or you decide you can’t do something that’s your choice.

[@kekkelpenneypeckeltoot5700]

@Donnell Okafor are you actually trying to say their goal is to be neurosurgeons? Get real. That’s called strawman i need help. You take the furthest outlying idea to disprove something😬 you have zero authority to say what anyone can or can’t do with your average intelligence. Some people want to use reasons as excuses and there are those of us who want to rise above. No a blind person may be unqualified to perform surgery but FAS is completely different.

[@Yololove247]

I love how Eli said there are bad parts in the world, but there are good parts too. Strong family.

[@therealkoolaidandkale]

Chile. These kids articulate themselves better than MOST adults that I know. This was very insightful and a reminder about invisible disabilities. I have ADHD and just got diagnosed and am in my 30s. God bless them and the whole family. EXCELLENT job!!

[@charliepark7309]

This guy is such a good person, I love the fact that he gives everyone a chance to tell their stories.

[@blerta2364]

Right?? I remember looking at all of the stories and learning more about "these" people and I noticed that each and every one of them has big hearts. And I started never to take it for granted that I was healthy..

[@brookemckinley5709]

I love how they’re dressed! They’re wearing what they want to wear and expressing themselves and that’s awesome that their parents let them do that! Love this family!

[@JoBenny67]

Two beautiful, well spoken, young women with loving and compassionate hearts.

[@singing.winnie]

i like what she said at last."Life isnt always the same speed. if you slow down, everything will be fine". it is comforting

[@dirtpatcheaven]

You made your dress? My daughter makes dresses too! I bet she will love watching this video of you.

[@TeacherBeesABCs-123s]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@nessaseetah1805]

Amazing. Big hearts and so bright!

[@senordiaz1]

I like your channel! Awesome to see you here as well👍

[@Mr.Sandevistan]

If you don’t mind me asking what’s the correlation?

[@furbabies3937]

There making them say what ther sayin listen like robots, wake up ppl

[@Hana.Behl-Lecter]

They're all gorgeous, intelligent, and sweet kids. The parents are incredible too...showing compassion and empathy towards their birth parents and raising empowered and thoughtful children. I think the fact that their adult biological children continued to adopt more of the kids says a lot. Heartbreaking that their biological mother hasn't taken the steps to prevent continued pregnancies when she's unable to care for herself.

[@tinachism6051]

I would be friends with that whole family! Pure of heart and down to earth!

[@Skorponok999]

I was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and I also have autistic traits, too. Life was a bumpy road for me as I have trouble making friends and being out in the community. I currently live in a adult foster home because my parents and I have gotten into fights before. I still visit my parents a lot and now that I am turning 20 this year in August, I have matured a lot more so I have gotten better at managing my anger and my emotions. One thing I wish I could change is my height. I am 4'11" and it is because my Fetal Alcohol Syndrome slowed my growth. I wish I was taller. My favorite hobbies are playing videogames and solve and make patterns with my huge collection of Rubik's cubes of all shapes and sizes

[@raquelita3833]

🤘🏼❤️ u are dope! U got this, remember to breathe when u feel upset, stay calm and shock everyone darling ! 🙌🏼

[@MelissaA11921]

I'm 4 '11 🎉 ❤

[@garcia-downsmulti-services4809]

I am 4'11. I am happy

[@Shantal_mua]

I’m 4’11 too you’re not alone ! I love it. I like to call myself fun size! The older you get the more you’ll embrace all you have to offer. Wishing you the best 🫶🏽

[@chloefisher1416]

I was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and withdrawals from so many drugs, I was adopted and I’ve never been jealous about kids with their “real parents” thankfully.

[@San-eh8do]

This kids and young ladies have a great emotional intelligence. They have a great ability to selfreflection.Congratulations to the parents.

[@jadendalton9283]

I’ve been watching SBSK for years, this account is what brought me to decide I’m going to major in special education. You’ve brought me so much information and brought a career path I never considered ( I went to an arts school and majored in theater in hs). Thank you

[@lorrainefoster1320]

I’m a teacher and I wish you well on your educational career. We need more caring teachers.

[@WeeHgt]

You’re gonna be awesome!

[@kyushubabe9700]

It’s really beautiful. I’m just new here and I can’t get enough of it

[@wildflamingo5823]

Thank you and God bless you for going into that line of work. I know it will help a lot of people ❤

[@PCKA1987]

This is precious. There is so much we can learn from special needs kids and their loving families. I pray more of us can see with the eyes of compassion and an open heart to those families.

[@angelicabotones8559]

Neurodivergent is a grand wonderful way of understanding different ways of learning. They are incredible kids!

[@JamesLaCoste-j8e]

Really? ADHD sucks. I can't wait for CRISPR to cure me.

[@Crystalthomas27]

I can 100% tell these kids went to therapy . Very good in tact with their feelings very intelligent. Good for them I see bright futures. Amazing parents.

[@Sullydog7]

As someone who’s lived with FASD my whole life, this video really helped me feel like I’m not alone in the world.

[@kerigirl711]

All of these humans are absolutely incredible and beautiful. They deserve the world. Loved this video.

[@oliviadunkley1146]

Considering they all have a learning disability, they are actually incredibly smart, articulate, self aware, and have a lot of insight about other people and the world. And they are such lovely, sweet, beautiful kids. They are lucky to have each other and to have such dedicated, caring parents and siblings.

[@latoyajohns3117]

This whole family made my heart smile 💙

[@OE2023]

The love between them is so pure

[@RolandSchlosser]

Beautiful girls, beautiful children, beautiful parents, beautiful family, beautiful everything!!!

[@AnnaH4R]

Agreed!!

[@tantrika.exotica]

❤🧡💛💚💙💜

[@softgrungewitch]

Alexis saying that she had a tea party for her 18th made me instantly happy because that's exactly what I did for my 18th as well. Although the outfit I wore wasn't as pretty as hers 😄

[@garden_vibes7796]

I am 21 right now, but If I were 18 right now I would be friends with the two sisters in a heartbeat! I love card games, tea parties, and things that involve being present. I think they have the right idea. Thank you to the whole family for sharing their story and for those bright kids.

[@bebaios]

Sameeee! Like, hide and seek in the dark sounds wonderful!

[@reekrodriqguez6552]

I mean you still can

[@AsToldByKrista]

Age is just a number, gal! I’m 30 and have friends in their 20’s, 40’s and 50’s.

[@luchirimoya]

I'm 21 too and I'd be friends with them right now lol, it's only 3 years of difference!! They seem much more mature than most people in their twenties tbh

[@bamboo___]

SAME

[@JohnGalt255]

Every single one of these kids has a great self-awareness and openness with their emotions- kudos to the parents for encouraging them to share their feelings!

[@reefread1234]

who's gonna tell her

[@JohnGalt255]

@@reefread1234 explain plz

[@LuckyBadger]

Such pure, sweet souls! They may struggle with book smarts, but they have a special wisdom that even geniuses may never be able to achieve. I'd rather be around people like them, than like someone who gets good grades but is not a nice person.

[@aquaman6166]

What an amazing family. I understand the grief that Alexis feels of what "could have been" it's definitely hard. Sitting there with the thought that your bio parents couldn't even stop for you. I hope she is able to work through those hard emotions. She's been through a lot. They all have. And someone tell Eli that he is hilarious! 😂

[@arkeiou_]

I feel like these videos are what the phrase “doing something meaningful for society” means. Even if to some doesn’t seem that big. I appreciate learning more from these people and hope they live the best of their lives :)

[@shawtythaasiyah4166]

Facts 😀🤗🤎☀️

[@shawtythaasiyah4166]

If you agree with her comment like it 🤎

[@jadorekymori]

J Jill

[@Anchoringthelight]

All I see are beautiful souls. God bless this beautiful family

[@nancykahn4125]

The schools are lacking…not you…you are so articulate and lovely

[@themischeifguide]

Alexis shouldn't get too down on herself, I think she was well spoken. She spoke very purposefully, I don't have FAS and sometimes I say too much too quickly. They both seem really functional, as long as you have a good base to build off of, you'll be okay.

[@tesshowdieshell6553]

Wow. What a big, supportive and loving family. So glad they all have each other.

[@madisonrose1576]

I just love how you pointed out the joke he made. So awesome how happy he got!

[@BethRazz]

The sisters at the beginning are so pretty. 💗 Not even half way through the vid & I can tell they're lovely & from a loving family.

[@TheOftedal]

It is rare to see kids and young adults being so reflected and self aware in what they say. Even if they learn things differently, they show more intelligence than most people their age. What a beautiful family!

[@danimary5649]

As an educational professional I am so sad that these kids were failed by the school system in their area. My heart breaks! School should be fun, accepting, welcoming, and well versed in individual needs. They are amazing children 💜

[@sea4our]

i feel the exact same way that these young girls do, having grown up with a Narcissistic mother who scapegoated me. i get to watch my actual family live their lives without me, though. i've learned to love what i have. these girls are precious and i hope they can find inner peace. something i'm still struggling with at 34

[@charliethecockatoo2159]

I'm astounded by how insightful the two eldest sisters are. What beautiful, sweet young ladies.

[@britturk123]

They all seemed eloquent to me, lots of love and respect to the adoptive parents for doing such a valuable job for society.

[@biblesonabudget213]

Thank you Chris for your work of showing the humanity of all these dear people.

[@kittenmimi5326]

Now this is a real family! All care for each other... aww

[@pickledbread2036]

Omg the wisdom from these kids. I was almost brought to tears when I'm the beginning a young lady said "if you find someone who understands you talk to them". It's hard regardless of who you are to find someone to truly listen, but I heard every word of what you all said. So glad you're together and that you have a loving family. Don't let anyone get you down or let you feel bad, each and every one of you is incredible.

[@InsSsnowland]

They’re so sweet and wonderful. The little brother is such a sweet little one. This video warmed my heart. 🤍🤍🤍

[@koffinkat666]

My cousin had Fetal Alcohol syndrome and was adopted as well. He was a great kid! Very sad when people cannot quit drugs to not harm their fetus.

[@heidiquayle5054]

there are still doctors who tell expectant mothers that a glass of wine here and there is fine during pregnancy, or a hot beer on a cold day etc. NOT SAFE FOR BABY'S BRAIN

[@DaemonJerky]

@@heidiquayle5054 hot beer on a cold day?! Haha I hope that was a mix up 😂

[@AnnaKaunitz]

@@heidiquayle5054 In order to be relevant, we need to be fact based. The overwhelming amount of women drink alcohol up to the point when they find out that they’re pregnant. Which is anywhere from 4-6 or more weeks. It’s complex in medicine and it takes huge amounts of alcohol intake to have babies with FAS. There also genetics. It happens that many women with severe alcohol problem give birth to healthy children. The scientists are not sure how much alcohol is safe which is why the recommendations are to avoid alcohol after finding out. But a couple of glasses will probably don’t harm a pregnancy and we need to stop this non fact based fear mongering and judgment towards women. The majority of pregnant women try so hard to be perfect anyway and they don’t need your judgment.

[@AnnaKaunitz]

Alcohol problems are a medical disorder and women with alcohol problem, in particular pregnant women, are insanely judged and often don’t have access to medical treatment and the US is a terrible country in terms of maternity and parental support and non existing no cost health care. Abortions are increasingly difficult to access for those women who need it. People with alcohol dependency can not quit alcohol themselves, it has to be done in a hospital or it’s life threatening. Fix those things and you’ll see that maternity and baby health will improve drastically.

[@heidiquayle5054]

@@DaemonJerky yes I meant cold beer on a hot day!! or drinking beer to help the milk flow!

[@superjacksonfan12345]

I love how matter of fact they are about everything, there’s no euphemism about abilities but there’s also no shame.

[@ThiefofAlwaysNL]

She is not smart, but she knows how to look up things and understands that she does not know everything. That makes het smarter then many people on this earth.

[@tsumugi2798]

she thinks she’s not smart, but she is, understands enough of her surroundings

[@ThiefofAlwaysNL]

@@tsumugi2798 True

[@Starlitwarrior]

But very intelligent. Knowing you don’t understand something, but taking the time to understand anyways.

[@HuckleberryHim]

I don't doubt that these kids have difficulties with certain cognitive tasks, but those seem to be very particular, specific difficulties. They are NOT unintelligent, not even close. Just the opposite, it is SO obvious to me that every single one of them is exceptionally bright. They form grammatically correct and complex sentences with multiple clauses, they have broad vocabularies, they have interesting and intelligent ideas. It's really harmful for people to imply that they are just dumb. They can internalize that. They have a "divergent" neurology or something, that's it, but I cannot believe that anyone could hear these kids talk and consider them unintelligent.

[@agnesn8149]

What? She is clearly smart either way.

[@julieg81]

Kudos to that family for taking in so many kids, and keeping the siblings in the same family. I feel sorry for the biological mother that she has had 7 children with FASD and wasn't able to get clean (maybe she is now, I don't know). The fact that the mother is actually married into the family is a good sign.

[@tantrika.exotica]

Same. But I don't know if I feel sorry for her or just want to be angry with her. Addiction is nothing to play about but as a mother I just can't empathize with her choices. However everything happens for a reason and things turned out BEAUTIFULLY for this blended family❤🧡💛💚💙💜 Thank You all!!

[@jordiflower]

Yeah that confused me. She kept having more kids- if she couldn’t get sober I would think birth control of some sort no? And they all look different races

[@talajamal4847]

@@jordiflower exactly, that’s what I was thinking about cause like I get her not being able to quit and struggling with drugs and stuff but like if you can’t stop the drugs at least stop having more babies it’s not that hard.

[@jordiflower]

@@talajamal4847 💯

[@israeliana]

@@jordiflower her kids all look Latino? And birth control is also not free. It's her right to have kids and she should have had access to affordable or free rehab. But that isn't available in the USA

[@oliviatyler420]

i love when i see videos of people with FAS it makes me feel less alone! these too girls are wonderful and perfect 🥰

[@sophieisabella]

What a selfless couple. This makes my heart happy 🥺💓

[@nickyphoenix2470]

I am an adopted child and I only found out when I was 14 and it collapsed my entire world for a long time and even now at 53 I still mourn the fact that I have 14 brothers and sisters out in the world that I will never know. I did have good adoption parents though so I was lucky and these young ladies seems to have been lucky as well.

[@stxdude830]

None of my business, but did they get rid of your family history, which is why you can't find them/meet them? That's jus unfortunate as heck to think about

[@Eyes_of_Thunder]

If you do ancestry DNA kit it will show relatives if they have done it before. It can show brothers and sisters after you complete kit as well as uncle's aunt's cousins 🙂 I believe

[@elliottnassif6669]

@@stxdude830 In the US, individual states determine what information adoptees have access to. Many of us, even as adults, don’t have access to our original birth certificates, medical histories, or other identifying info about our birth families. It’s really unfortunate.

[@absolutelyridiculous6743]

A tea party for a birthday sounds totally lovely, what a sophisticated lady. These children are amazing. They are much more articulate and stable than they realize!! Very well-rounded, intelligent, emotionally mature family... We can learn how to parent from this mom and dad. We can also learn love and patience. I cannot get over how lovely they are.

[@jesusistheanswer2074]

You have a beautiful family momma, I can't imagine taking all that on. A true mom superhero. May God bless your family with peace and comfort

[@misslioness8091]

Very articulate, aware, focused. Lovely children, sad situation

[@takeisha1220]

Agreed.

[@Fragrantbeard]

I love these kids! So thoughtful, eloquent, and wise. This was a favorite interview.

[@colinwhite4710]

These are the sweetest kids ever. 🥺

[@digitalization]

You can tell the world has hurt these kids so much but they're still trying and their parents and siblings are doing their best to help them. Some big families can get messy and you wonder if each kid is getting the attention they need, but you can clearly tell this family is structured and everyone is getting the best chance at growth. I hope the world becomes a kinder place so they can feel less left out soon.

[@sokalbenoit]

"Life wasn't always at a certain speed. if you can slow down a while everything will be fine" - so, so true. Beautiful and amazing family :)

[@shalacarter6658]

Hi Homestead Family! You remind me so much of my family. We always had ppl living with us; all adults. My grown brother and sister, my adult Uncle, Aunt and cousin. My husband grew up in Beaver Cleaver Land and had no experience with this growing up. I am also adopted. My Mom and Dad got married when I was five. He gave me his name right away. One of my kiddos, a girl of my heart, also has problems from her biological mom doing drugs and drinking while she was pregnant. My kiddo was born with Spina Bifida. She was born with dislocated hips and her feet were fused to her legs. She was adopted by an Aunt. And now she is also mine. I did a paper on FAS in college. It is, tragically, common on reservations where there is terrible rates of alcoholism and diabetes. You are an amazing family!

[@Tara-cv2kz]

I dont have Spina Bifida or anything else, but I was also born with dislocated hips 🙋‍♀️

[@glowstonestarzaj4922]

I can 100% relate with the girls when they say they can’t connect with other teens their age. I’m 18 and all I want to do is run and play hide and seek too!! But unfortunately someone decided that once you become a certain age, you’re not allowed to have fun anymore ☹️ Therefore I can’t enjoy “childish” games anymore because everyone around me thinks they’re too cool for games and will look at me like I’m insane 😞 Sorry, I had to vent loll

[@nessaseetah1805]

I hope you can find other kids to experience *authentic*/unplugged life! ♡♡♡

[@maddiehudson8741]

I am 21 and I absolutely love playing hide and seek, and whoever doesn’t want to play hide and seek for the sake of looking “cool” is being counterproductive lol

[@caitlynnee5115]

Maybe you could be a babysitter! A lot of children look up to “cool” adults.

[@azaliahangulo]

I’m 23 and I really respect anyone who is just enjoying life this way. I forgot what it’s like to have fun without phones. I wish I could go back in time and play hide and seek, ride my bike everywhere, hang out in jungle gyms, and go swimming everyday.

[@oliviadunkley1146]

I know that feeling. I used to feel that same frustration at that age. Good to know we’re not the only ones!

[@practicallydehumanised]

These are 2 amazingly strong young women

[@Anon_2025]

To be honest, these kids seem brighter than most people I talk to. More power to them!

[@kaiyasothern6305]

I just found out my boyfriend has fetal alcohol syndrome so I'm trying to figure out how to accomodate for anything he may need. Thank you all for sharing your stories!!

[@jankasza5538]

I am raising my nephew with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome! My heart goes out to these beautiful ladies! I Love you girls, and I kind of understand! 💕 You are both Beautiful and so smart!

[@CherityTherarè]

My heart is so torn for these guys, how awesome to be together and have folks to care and champion for them, but for some of them never getting the accommodations that they need for educational and social development has to be frustrating sometimes. As someone with developmental issues who had a mother with alchohol addiction during her pregnancy me & my siblings were never diagnosed because it was never brought to light, but we have both autism and adhd diagnosis' in almost all of our siblings & we were split up into separate families but always kept in touch. My hope for these guys is that they always get the support they need in their lives going forward as adults that this family has always provided for them as adults. The struggle to be recognized as someone who needs accommodations is so difficult when you "look so normal" and communicating those needs can be a serious struggle without having built those key social skills. I'm so glad they will always have eachother thanks to their parents & aunt.

[@rockingal9520]

Bless you, you sound like a wonderful and caring person. I hope you are now receiving the understanding and accomodations you so deserve. Not all people look down on someone who looks normal but actions might be a little different. Years ago society was being educated about fetal alcohol syndrome and schools were making accomodations. I don't know why it stopped.

[@CherityTherarè]

@@rockingal9520 In my experience the "no child left behind" movement did a lot more harm than good when it came to kids in public with special needs, they weren't left behind as much as hidden and given up on because they either could score high enough or couldn't test as effectively as kids without. Even now my oldest struggles to get accommodations in school after getting a late diagnosis at 12yrs old because the state didn't want to pay for their testing and we couldn't pay out of pocket so the school now has a 25 page documentation of her autism & still the teachers that cone to her iep meetings sit there and say..."oh, well I didn't know she actually had autism I thought she was just saying that." Firstly, how are teachers not informed when they have children that need accommodations 2ndly who just says that they're autistic? The public school system rarely helps those who cannot help or advocate for themselves & that's how we end up with families that take on the road of educators as well as caregivers. It can be super stressful but also super detrimental to social development. I was homeschooling for 2 years because my test scores were so high my grandmother thought it was stupid to leave me in a lower grade, what she didn't take into account was that my social development was already behind due to the autism & adhd & although I tested really well coming back into school,, it severely impacted my ability to interact & communicate with others. To this day, I still get along better with people who are younger than I am because of how stunted my social skills were. When she talked about feeling alienated around kids her age, that really hit close to home because I ALWAYS felt like that. As a senior in highschool most of my friends were freshman and sophomores because kids my age either seemed "stupid" or "boring." Not that they were, we just didn't share the same interests because they were thinking like adults and I was still thinking like a child that grew up with an adult education.

[@CherityTherarè]

@@MM-oe6bd Absolutely, I shared a lot of similar experiences growing up. I was adopted by one family member my youngest brother was adopted by a family friend and two of my siblings stayed with our mother. She never got completely sober but she did get better after a while. Addiction is such a powerful thing even though you love your children & want to do what's best for them some of the bad things in our lives never truly leave us & we do what we can to drown them out so they don't consume us. I was angry like her for a long time at my mother. Wondering why she would pick a boyfriend or a bottle over me & my brother but she passed last year from small cell lung cancer & sadly I never got any answers, or at least not the ones I wanted, what I did get was an experience. Something for me to learn from. I have 2 beautiful, Ausome kids that I went into recovery for had relapses, went back into recovery & did everything I could to put them first despite my vices. I'm not calling myself a Saint I'm not strong. I just had enough luck & support & love in my life to help me push through it. You never know what kind of demons someone is dealing with all alone & because of my mother's experiences & how I was affected both as the child & the mother I do my best to never judge another addict or another child.

[@look_mypfp_6875]

I’m literally the exact same way!!! My mother had 5 different children with 5 different guys in a 10 year span and we were split up! Didn’t even know they existed till one texted me saying I was adopted, shook my whole world but now I’m happy to know my siblings, and even have one around but it seems we all have a set of adhd and brain issues, I’ve never been normal and it makes sense.

[@okaminess]

Their dog is so cute! He’s just chilling.

[@canal000]

Alexis, let me say that when people look down on you for now knowing something, that only means that they think human value comes from a specific kind of superficial knowledge, and it's easier from them to judge in this way because they don't understand real human value, which comes from our capacity to be caring and connect with others. YOUR capacity for this is clear and beautiful; learning is interesting but you don't need to look for validation in books. From my perspective you already hold the knowledge that really counts because you know how to open your heart with kindness.

[@BANKO007]

They are not only adorable, but they are so smart and grounded. They are kids to be really proud of.

[@nancyjones7214]

These kids are so sweet and innocent. I'm glad they have each other ❤

[@burjuddubowy347]

This Mom and Dad have made a wonderful family. The children understand their condition. They are amazingly articulate, especially in a new situation like this interview. As an educator all my life I am so sorry that your school did not make the appropriate education plans for you. It was their legal responsibility to provide whatever services and accommodations you needed, through age 21 and including vocational teaching. However, I can see that you have done a good job yourselves in fostering security for all your children. Congratulations!

[@Evravon]

What an absolutely wonderful family!

[@ML-pe7ed]

I adore this family! They are smarter than 90% of society that people would call "normal". How beautiful the support and love they have for each other! Tea parties, sewing, and home school?! Sounds like my kind of wholesome, lovely people! God bless them!

[@Jc-zq1tn]

i completely understand mom. schools here in texas are absolutely horrible with special needs program. i have a nephew who is 9 and has been moved over 5 times to different schools due to lack of resources for public schools, they rush his work and place him in regular classes because "he's able to be in regular classes". even though he has autism. it's horrible.

[@ED-ie3et]

I feel really horrible! Is there a way for people outside of the state to contact representatives there to put into place laws and regulations to protect the differently abled?

[@ED-ie3et]

That is a serious violation of ADA!!!

[@courtneydenniston3489]

My brother and his wife adopted two boys one of which has fetal alcohol syndrome and people always treated him different and it made me so mad but he has grown into a great man and has a family!! People do not need to judge people because of a disability...

[@keith2964]

This Thanksgiving I was thankful that SBSK got their comments back!!