Trouble in school

Roberta likes close contact with her mother Ann Corragio, but reacts in a child-like fashion to her kiss.

At a young age, Roberta had difficulty in school. But she seemed to get passed along, with no one noticing her problems, Ann said.
"It wasn't until high school that she was finally put in special ed. They had said there was nothing wrong with her. It's hard to constantly remind yourself that she isn't a normal 17-year-old girl. You don't really know it by looking at her. I think that's why she was passed so much."
"It's a hidden handicap," Scott said of FAE.
When she started her freshman year at Cholla High, Roberta was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. She is on medication for ADHD and depression. "Depression is a big problem for her," Ann said. "She has a hard time dealing with life."
Immaturity is another problem.
"There are times she acts as young as her brothers," said Ann, whose three sons are 7, 5 and 4.
"She's always had a problem with attention. You have a hard time keeping your eye on something, don't you?" Ann asked her daughter.
"When I see a light flickering," said Roberta, "it bugs the crap out of me. Sometimes I start to shake."
Discovering that FAE may be to blame for her problems has helped Ann and Scott understand Roberta's behavior.
"I feel so bad," said Scott. "I would really get angry at her. I thought she was acting out and disobeying when in fact she just didn't comprehend.
"You'd send her to her room to clean it, and you'd find her sitting there playing with a little toy. She'd be totally spaced out and she'd look at you, dumbfounded."
Roberta needs help with living skills, her parents said.
"She has a hard time with simple tasks, such as taking a shower," Ann Coraggio said. "You have to make sure she gets all the soap out of her hair."
The Coraggios work with Roberta, hoping to increase her potential. And they now have more reasonable expectations.
"This sounds mean, but I expect her to mess up all the time," Scott Coraggio said. "I really don't have expectations. If she does something, great."