Today’s guest is a little bit different from the others. Her specialty is an area caregivers ask a lot of questions about (eating, food and therapy). Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of specific FASD knowledge about treatment. When we discovered Dr. Federici through a webinar on eating disorders and saw the intersection between FASD and Eating Disorders was so great, we knew we had to get her on the show.

Dr. Federici is a Clinical Psychologist and the Owner of The Centre for Psychology and Emotion Regulation. She holds an Adjunct Faculty position at York University and is a distinguished Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders.  

You have to be able to combine what you know to be true about working with people who have FASD and what you know to be true about eating disorders and emotion regulation – and that’s what I love to do in my career. Adapting and fine-tuning treatment for people who are often missed. 

We know FASD is a...

Anyone that has followed me for a while knows about Amanda Burley – Amanda and her family were the first family I coached after graduating from the FASD Program at the Toronto CAS Child Welfare Institute.

Tara and I have the privilege and the honour to have remained friends with her and her family. I love sharing updates for caregivers so they can follow her journey.  

I am here for a reason. It’s to help kids with FASD who can’t speak like I speak.

Amanda candidly shares some of her struggles, achievements, philosophy and letting us know what is new, including: 

• Sharing the difference between school experiences from those when supported, understood, and accommodated, to those when supports were not provided, and how she advocates for herself. 
• Providing tips and tricks that helped her cope with her disability, including a highly creative PITA and PANDA method. 
• Giving suggestions for how caregivers can support their...

Do you know what uncinate fasciculus means? I didn't. Do you ever start reading a recently published research paper and you find it written in such a way you don't understand what it is about but you want to? Me too! That is why I am so pumped to have this returning guest to the FASD Success Show, Dr. Catherine Lebel.  

Catherine Lebel, PhD is a Principal Investigator,  and Associate Professor in Department of Radiology at the University of Calgary.

Today, we dig deep into science by not only dissecting a recent research paper Dr. Lebel and her Lab published but also reviewing a study on mental health and individuals with FASD. But don't worry, I help make it all accessible. In fact, I read line by line the abstract of the research paper and Dr. Lebel translates it so you and I can understand it. We talk about how this recent research differs from previous, as well as:

• the importance of brain research and what MRIs and EEGs can and can't do.
• what they were...

The episode this week is a chat with three cool and awesome advocates who are doing great things for caregivers and individuals with FASD. It may be in my home province of Ontario, but what they have to say and are doing can inspire and help where you are. 

Today I’m talking to Sharron Richards, Mary Hutchings and Mary Ann Bunkowsky about social work, advocating for system change, building support teams and The Parents Helping Parents Project, a phone support resource provided by parent Mentors for parents and caregivers of individuals with FASD in Ontario. 

Sharron Richards received her Master of Social Work degree from Carleton University and worked in child welfare for close to 40 years, primarily as a community development worker. She chairs the Toronto FASD Network and is committed to bringing her knowledge, experience, resources, and social privilege to ensuring that individuals and families affected by FASD have access to the resources and supports...

Language Warning 

Imagine living five decades thinking you didn’t fit in, but not quite sure why? Despite having a high IQ, you feel like you are a ‘problem child’ because of your behaviours.

Today I talk to Reinier deSmit, an adult on the spectrum: a videographer, photographer, life counsellor, philosopher and storyteller. He weaves stories through his words, music, and photography. He is a super cool dude, and I can’t wait for you to hear about him and his outlook. 

As much as I’m an absolute advocate for being who you are, I still in my deep gut and heart know that we all have to modify a bit to relate to each other. It doesn’t make it wrong. To be authentic. (I moved) from being a victim to it’s a choice how I interact. 

Reinier has led an interesting life and has a unique perspective. We talk about his journey of self-reflection. How his high IQ masked his disability and the...

What do you think prevents people from getting the message about no safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy? Do you think it is even possible to prevent FASD? Why do we support individuals with FASD but not moms? What about messages geared only to women?

These are questions I get answers to with today’s guest, Dr. Nancy Poole, who talks about the 4 Part FASD Prevention Model she was part of developing.

Nancy is the Director of the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, a research and knowledge exchange centre hosted by BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre in Vancouver and is the Prevention Lead for the CanFASD Research Network. She has published over 125 academic papers, book chapters and technical reports over the past decade, and co-edited five books. She has a doctorate in education and recently was awarded a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) by the Justice Institute of BC in recognition of her contributions to women’s health, including...

In the 1996 landmark study by Dr. Anne Streissguth, it was revealed that up to 60% of individuals with FASD will have contact with the justice system. Youth are 19x more likely to be incarcerated compared to youth without FASD. In Canada, justice-related costs are among the highest FASD associated costs. While not everyone with FASD will be involved, it is a significant number. Today I talk to two researchers who devote their time to examining justice and FASD. 

Dr. Kaitlyn McLachlan, MA, PhD. is an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Guelph, holds an adjunct faculty affiliation the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University, and is a member of the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.  

Katherine Flannigan, PhD, R. Psych. is a Registered Psychologist in Alberta and British Columbia and is a Research Associate with the Canada FASD Research...

It isn’t too often we find someone who has Prenatal Alcohol Exposure covered from all angles, but today’s guest certainly does. She is an individual with FASD, a caregiver for individuals with FASD and a professional who works with individuals with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. This episode is a 10 timer – there is so much incredible information from different perspectives you are going to want to keep coming back to it. 

Once I realized that it was probably the PAE, I started to feel like OK, I can start to work with this, and I can help everyone around me work with this too. 

Debbie Michaud is a Social Worker with a BSW and MSW – she is currently working on a Ph.D. in Educational Sustainability. She has worked for 24 years in the child welfare field in both front-line and supervisory roles. She is teaching at Confederation College in the Social Service Worker Program and at Sault College in the FASD Certificate Program. 

Debbie shares...

Weaving FASD Stories, Science and Research 

When you think of media coverage for FASD what stories immediately come to your mind? Is it a respectful and honest piece or is it stereotypical and sensationalized? Do you know how feature stories are pitched, decided, and developed?  

In April 2018, an in-depth feature on FASD appeared in one of our National newspapers. A year later three more features. Last month, a fourth appeared by the same reporter. I decided it was time to dig behind the scenes to find out who this reporter was and how and why she become such a champion for FASD. 

Vanessa Hrvatin is a multimedia journalist, science writer, and science communications specialist currently working as a freelance journalist and writer. She is also a part-time Communications Coordinator for the DjavadMowafaghian Centre for Brain Health at the University of British Columbia. She holds a Master of Journalism from the University of British Columbia and a BSc. in...

A couple of weeks ago CanFASD shared a letter written to a teacher by a student with FASD. I had already reached out to Shana Mohr to interview her, as the Training Coordinator for the FASD Network in Saskatchewan, but was stoked to find out it was her daughter that wrote the letter!

Shana has trained hundreds of professionals, caregivers, and individuals with intellectual disabilities about the complexities of FASD. Through her experiences, she has developed an intimate understanding of the services available for individuals with FASD. Shana believes in the need for more research to fill the gaps in these services and to increase the accessibility for individuals with FASD and their caregivers. Shana is also a member of the Family Advisory Committee with CanFASD. 

Starting my journey, I googled FASD.  Google tells you everything that is terrible and negative about FASD and nothing good, so I was pretty scared about it. But that’s when I reached out and...