One of my goals with The FASD Success Show podcast is to bring you a wide variety of guests, including those who are leading experts in the FASD community. Today’s guest, Audrey McFarlane is no exception. She returns for the third time and brings updates on research and some exciting announcements of interest to our listeners from anywhere in the world.

Ms. McFarlane is the Executive Director for the Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research Network. She was one of the founders of the Lakeland Centre for FASD and led this organization for almost 20 years. In the past 20 years, she has been passionate about working with individuals with FASD, their families, and service systems to develop best practice service models in rural diagnosis; community outreach, and prevention. Audrey has presented at the local, regional, national, and international levels on many issues related to FASD. As Executive Director of the national research network in FASD, she directs and...

Today’s episode is a heavy topic that might make some people uncomfortable, but it is one that we should be prepared for – because it is inevitable at some point our children will be faced with death – whether that is a pet, family member or friend.

We reached out to Marjorie Wingrove who is a death doula, in Eastern Ontario. Her focus is on death education, bereavement support and end-of-life preparation. In 2021 she created the Death Happens podcast with support from Trent Radio. Marjorie is a single parent of two adolescents, one with prenatal alcohol exposure.

She has served as a parent advisor on several committees and workshopped coping strategies with other parents of kids with FASD.

There is nothing easy about the topic of death. Instead, invite curiosity. We do not get over grief. If there is love, there is going to be grief. There is no method necessarily except to pay attention to what is going on with the person who is bereaved and to listen...

Have you ever wished you could understand how your loved one experiences the world? What do they think about their disability and what do they want others to understand? Today’s guest is going to help us do that. Last year, Miranda Eodanable was on The FASD Success Show to talk about a Photovoice Research Project she was about to undertake, asking young people to document their experience in pictures. In this episode, she shares the results from the group of eight individuals with FASD (ages 12 – 19 years old) who participated.

Miranda is anEducational Psychologist in Scotland responsible for neurodevelopmental assessment pathways with health services in areas of FASD and Intellectual Disabilities. She has worked in education systems for the last 20 years and has guest lectured on the Scottish Masters in Educational Psychology courses. Currently, she is working on a Ph.D. at the University of Edinburgh on the value and impact of an FASD diagnosis.

Parents are...

It’s back-to-school season, and with that comes IEPs, IPRCs, 504s, and education plans! If the terms or process are confusing and frustrating, we have you covered in this week’s podcast with Mark Courtepatte – one of the most popular Insider Experts in our CKS Coaching Program. But you don’t have to be in the program now to hear his expertise!

Mark is not your average FASD advocate! When he is not at his day job, he is very dedicated to his role as the Co-Chair of the Hamilton FASD Support Group. What started as a group of 5-6 individuals, Mark and his team have created significant programs, events, and advocacy in their home community and across Ontario. Through his FASD work, Mark has also taken an interest in the IPRC and IEP process, helping folks understand the process and their rights. Mark also has a unique perspective as he is a partner to someone with FASD.

I did not grow up as a disability advocate. I think like most of the...

Tigger Warning: Incarceration, Suicide, Trauma and Sexual Assault 

This unique episode has some critical information about how systemic barriers and failures can result in adverse outcomes for individuals with FASD. We will leave the detail for the episode, but we want to give you a general idea about the content. 

First up, I want to thank Shawn for being brave and vulnerable in sharing his story. Rhonda also has my deep respect for supporting and loving him through this process, while also recognizing the impact and harm on the victim.  

Rhonda has worked in the child welfare system for 30 years. She was first introduced to FASD in her personal life when she provided respite for Debbie and Bill Michaud (both former podcast guests). Eventually, she raised 8 individuals (most with FASD) and supported a variety of their friends and family along the way, which is how she came to know Shawn.

Our talking about this and trying to find understanding...

We talk about those first three months and how and why she went from athletic and in shape to putting her health on the back burner and hitting rock bottom. We also cover:  

• The toxic diet culture and why diets don’t work and the internal dialogue we can have with ourselves about health. 
• Her 5 point plan get started and what works over the...

Today’s show is a show of firsts. You will learn how Tristan and Scott Casson-Rennie first met, how they became the first same-sex couple to adopt through the agency they used in the process, their trials and tribulations as they navigated parenthood with first a sibling group and then a third, their first experience working together to create an organization  called FASD Ireland, and what the first item Scott asked for after coming out of surgery.  

After retiring, Tristan became the Founder and CEO of FASD Ireland. With Scott, they are dads

to three boys of diverse needs, including one with an FASD diagnosis. Scott is the Chief Operating Officer of FASD Ireland, Host of The Adoption and Fostering podcast and Co-founder and Director of No Borders Training.  

When the boys were placed, they had multiple diagnosis depending on which practitioner they had seen. Every single one seemed to add another label. It was if they were walking...