Raised in Anchorage, Alaska, by her grandparents, alarm bells rang for nine-month-old Tami Eller’s carers when it became clear her head was not growing.  Her mother had a history of substance abuse, and she was later diagnosed with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.  While her body did begin to grow, the disorder manifested itself in different ways. 

 

 

Ms Eller has a telltale deformity common to people who were exposed to alcohol in the womb — a short pinky finger and underdeveloped hand muscles that make writing a chore.   She only wears terrycloth socks because the tactile sensation from the seams of normal socks hurt when she was a toddler, and she distinctly remembers her joy when, later than most children, she first managed to colour inside the lines and enjoy reading a book.  Spelling and grammar rules still confound Tami, yet she has a Masters degree and is a poster child for what children with FASD — a mostly misunderstood disorder blamed for secondary impacts such as learning disabilities, anxiety, depression and illegal behaviour — can do with the right support.