#091 Danna Ormstrup: Helping Schools Understand Your Kids And FASD

fasd success show Jan 15, 2022
 
 
Are you a parent or a teacher? Work with or support students or learners? Looking for ideas and best practices on how to help individuals with FASD? Following aggression, school is one of the most talked-about challenges caregivers ask for support or advice. When I heard about the return of a special FASD education program in Alberta, I reached out to my friend Danna Ormstrup, Director of the Foothills Fetal Alcohol Society and an FASD Instructional Coach with the Wrap2FASD program. 
 
 
Danna is the Director of the Foothills Fetal Alcohol Society and an FASD Instructional Coach with the Wrap2FASD program. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree and attended Mount Royal University for Recreation. Her career includes working with moms, serving as a teaching assistant, and managing an agency that supported adults with Developmental Disabilities. Danna has a deep belief that empathy can encourage us to be creative effective responders to “all things FASD” and that with compassion, all things are possible!  
 
The truth is: In the real world, teachers haven’t been taught about FASD. Teachers must worry about the curriculum, 25 other students, 15 IEPS, and many identifications.

While the purpose for reaching out was to find out about the WRaP 2.0 program, you will still gain, insight, inspiration, and ideas about what you can do as a parent or someone working with students. 

 WRaP was a Wellness Resiliency and Partnership project that provided mentorship and coaching for children and youth with FASD from 2009-2017. WRaP 2: FASD Coaching Partnership Project was introduced last year and will run until 2026.  

Danna and I talk about her origin story, the landscape of FASD support in Alberta and the history behind WRaP and what she has learned from one program to now, as well as: 

  • The improvements in WRaP 2.0 but also the gaps that still exist in it and the province. 
  • The four main challenges teachers have expressed and what both break their hearts and make them happy. 
  • What exactly is capacity building and how to start the conversation with your child’s teacher to get them on board. 
  • Why simply hand a list of FASD strategies to a teacher doesn’t work.

What does it mean when school personnel says, - I don’t see that behaviour here. If you don’t see it here let’s talk about what you are seeing. But it also goes for parents. So, let’s not talk about this child in terms of what somebody is doing right or wrong, but let’s take little pieces of what might be working and see if we can identify that. 

Danna also tells us about a unique new program she is introducing that combines students, herself, a guidance counselor, and drums, the difference of having two teachers who “get you” versus two “who don’t”, and her favorite part of her new role. 

And while the tips she gives can be applied anywhere, Danna provides an elevator pitch on how to get this program in your school if you are in Alberta. From our conversation, we learn just how passionate she is about success. If you want more information, check out the Show Notes below.  

 

Show Notes: 

Website: WRaP 2.0 FASD Coaching Partnership Project 

Contact Danna Ormstrup: 403-489-3273 

Connect FASD Line: 1-866-601-3273 

Our website:  FASD Success 

The FASD Success Facebook Page:  FASD Caregiver Success 

Join our Private Facebook Group: FASD Caregiver Success Group 

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