
"It's a struggle every day just maintaining my routine and health. For example, I have sensory issues, so if you're talking quite loudly around me I'm likely to get overwhelmed and my ability to process information can be quite shaky.
"Some days are worse than others, and if any problems or barriers come up, which often can be very simple, that will halt me in my tracks. It becomes tricky, because asking for understanding to manage such simple barriers can make me come across as difficult, high maintenance or spoilt. But I am not trying to be any of those things, I just have a hidden disability and certain things can really make or break my day."
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When Jessica Birch says "make or break" she really means it.
If these accommodations aren't made, she could be in bed for days recovering.
The 34-year-old has Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a lifelong, permanent and debilitating disorder which is caused when alcohol crosses the placenta to the developing baby during pregnancy.
WATCH: Jessica speaking to FARE, The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education. Post continues after video.
Although FASD is more common than autism, ADD and cerebral palsy combined, most Australians aren't well-versed in what FASD is. Because although it's a complex physical brain impairment that significantly impacts the body's systems, it often goes undetected.
It's invisible. Which is exactly the problem.
"I don't look like I have a disability so the accommodations I need are deeply undervalued," Jessica told Mamamia.
"Having a hidden disability means people try to be supportive, but it becomes quite clear when I try to explain [what I need] that they don't really understand.
"What ends up happening is they tend to say things that undermine the severity of what I am telling them. Or how deeply it affects my life. It becomes quite difficult to interact."
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