“…We talk with Vanessa Hrvatin, recipient of the 2018 Lang Fellowship in Journalism. We look at how great the risk of FASD is, who is most affected, and how myths and stigma complicate understanding of the disorder.”

10/3 podcast: The myths and mystery of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

National Post

Postmedia News
February 19, 2019
5:23 PM EST
[Photo] Warning: drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause birth defects and brain damage to your baby
A new report found up to three per cent of Canadians could have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.Ian Kucerak/Edmonton Sun

We have known for nearly half a century that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can harm an unborn child.

But the rate of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is higher than expected, and could outpace more widely understood disorders such as autism.

But because of the cause, this is a disorder that comes with a high degree of stigma, on top of the huge need for family supports.

We talk with Vanessa Hrvatin, recipient of the 2018 Lang Fellowship in Journalism. We look at how great the risk of FASD is, who is most affected, and how myths and stigma complicate understanding of the disorder.

21:15 Host Dave Breakenridge and 10/3Join the conversation  

10/3 podcast: The myths and mystery of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

WHO: People (16 years and older) with a neurodevelopmental disability and/or their caregivers

WHAT: Participate in individual interviews or small group discussions with researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). We will ask questions about what mental health care services you need, what services you use, and what could be done to improve your mental health care. Interviews and/or group discussions will take approximately 30 mins to 1.5 hours.

WHERE and WHEN: Winter 2019 at CAMH (exact dates and location to be determined)

For more information, please contact: Johanna Lake 416-535-8501 ext. 33518 Johanna.Lake@camh.ca

“…The special class has been open for five years now, and it’s one of three in the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board. So far, there have been nine children through from kindergarten to Grade 3…”

https://www.kenoraonline.com/local/fasd-class-sharing-strategies-for-success

KenoraOnline

FASD class sharing strategies for success
 Category: Local News
 Published: Thursday, 17 January 2019 10:00
 Written by Mike Aiken

[Photo] Nicole Downey shares a story with the special FASD class at Keewatin Public, while Bailey Palson visits with Michael Green.

Bailey Palson’s the teacher in a very special class at Keewatin Public. She helps young children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder get ready for integration into a regular classroom.

“Sometimes they’re really heightened, and their engines are too fast, we call it. So, we do a bit of a break to slow down their engines,” she says.

[Photo] Principal Heather Mutch (left) joins Bailey Palson (middle) and Nicole Downey (right) in the FASD class at Keewatin Public School.

Principal Heather Mutch (left) joins Bailey Palson (middle) and Nicole Downey (right) in the FASD class at Keewatin Public School.”The goal is to teach them strategies to be ready in the regular classroom, because these kids have struggled in a regular classroom environment,” Palson added.

The special class has been open for five years now, and it’s one of three in the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board. So far, there have been nine children through from kindergarten to Grade 3.

Strategies that are successful are also being shared with teachers across the board. They include self-regulation strategies that help the students settle down, so they’re more ready to learn.

The program also allows for a transition towards spending more time with other students. A special aspect to class is the outdoor education, which allows them to learn the curriculum in a different setting.

For more information:

Keewatin Public offers update on special class for FASD

Keewatin Public gets boost from FASD expert

CanFASD Issue Paper» FASD Prevalence in Special Populations —Based on the most current research, the estimated prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in the general Canadian population is 4%. However, rates of FASD are believed to be much higher in certain groups. The goal of this issue paper is to take a closer look at the research on special populations that may be at greater risk for FASD, including children in care, individuals involved in the justice system, and Indigenous communities. This examination is critical to understanding the demographic, social, geographical, and cultural factors that underlie drinking during pregnancy, and which groups may warrant additional support to ensure healthy outcomes.

CanFASD Issue Paper» The Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder — Since Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was first defined in North America in the 1970s, researchers have been working to determine prevalence rates of this disability. The social and economic impacts of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) on families and the broader community are profound, thus understanding the scope of the issue is critical. Over the years, researchers have used various methodologies and examined a range of geographical regions and populations around the world in their efforts to establish prevalence rates. Because of these differing approaches, FASD prevalence findings have not always been consistent. The purpose of this issue paper is to share the most up-to- date research findings, and to provide clarity around the question, “How many people have FASD?”

The application deadline for the FASD grants (see below for details) has been rescheduled to a date yet to be confirmed.  

The webinar will also be re-scheduled. 

Please stay tuned as we will share more details on the webinar and application process as soon as they are available. We encourage you to continue thinking about how one of these grants would help build support group activities within your community.

 Grant details

The Best Start Resource Centre (BSRC) at Health Nexus has received funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, (MCCSS) to distribute small grants to build and mobilize communities by bringing together families, caregivers and individuals experiencing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in the form of a support group.

Interested in learning more about these grants?

Please plan to join the Best Start Resource Centre for an informational webinar to learn more about the opportunities and how to apply. The webinar will also be recorded and available online for ongoing reference.

Grant Details

• Up for $4,500 available for both new and existing FASD Support Groups/Networks across Ontario.
• Deadline for the first round of applicants from existing groups/networks to apply is yet to be confirmed.
• Applications from brand new groups/networks will be accepted on an ongoing basis.
• Details of the second round of applications will be coming in January 2019.

 

For additional information, please contact:

Angela Geddes, FASD Project Coordinator

a.geddes@healthnexus.ca

416-408-6868

1-800-397-9567 ext. 2292

The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health—IJERPH (ISSN 1660-4601, IF 2.145) is currently running a Special Issue entitled “Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)”. Assoc. Prof. Svetlana Popova (from University of Toronto) and Dr. Larry Burd (from North Dakota Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Center) are serving as the Guest Editors for this issue. Based on your expertise in this field, we think that you could make an excellent contribution.

The goal of this Special Issue is to publish papers that expand our current knowledge of prenatal alcohol and other substances’ exposure and FASD and make it accessible to the research community, educators, policy makers, and others interested in this area. We invite all FASD-related research submissions, and we especially encourage the submission of papers from authors in developing countries where there are less infrastructure and traditional support of research on prenatal substance use exposure and FASD. The keywords listed below provide an outline of some of the possible areas of interest.

• prevention
• treatment
• recent advances in screening and diagnosis
• therapeutic and non-therapeutic interventions
• comorbidities
• mortality
• epidemiology
• economic cost
• risk factors of maternal substance use and FASD
• outcome trajectories (children, adults, and elderly people with FASD)
• law enforcement
• service delivery (i.e., health care, special education, etc.)
• experience and perception (patients and carers living with FASD, and practitioners)
• policy

For further reading, please follow the link to the Special Issue website at: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/special_issues/FASD

The submission deadline is 15 April 2019. You may send your manuscript now or up until the deadline. Submitted papers should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. We also encourage authors to send a short abstract or tentative title to the Editorial Office in advance (ijerph@mdpi.com).

IJERPH is fully open access. Open access (unlimited and free access by readers) increases publicity and promotes more frequent citations, as indicated by several studies. Open access is supported by the authors and their institutes. An Article Processing Charge (APC) of CHF 1600 currently applies to all accepted papers (APC: CHF 1800 from 1 January 2019 onwards).

For further details on the submission process, please see the instructions for authors at the journal website (http://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/instructions).

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,

Dr. Svetlana Popova, M.D., Ph.Ds., M.P.H.

Senior Scientist, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre in Addiction and Mental Health Associate Professor, Epidemiology Division, Office of Global Public Health Education & Training, Dalla Lana School of Public Health; and Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Phone: 1 (416) 535-8501 ext. 34558
Fax: 1 (416) 595-6068

e-mail: lana.popova@camh.ca

Dr. Larry Burd, PhD

North Dakota Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Center Department of Pediatrics, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences Pediatric Therapy Services, Altru Health System Grand Forks ND, USA 58201

Phone: 1 (701) 777-3683

e-mail: larry.burd@ndus.edu

FASD-flyer

CanFASD Issue Paper» FASD Prevalence in Special Populations — Based on the most current research, the estimated prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in the general Canadian population is 4%. However, rates of FASD are believed to be much higher in certain groups. The goal of this issue paper is to take a closer look at the research on special populations that may be at greater risk for FASD, including children in care, individuals involved in the justice system, and Indigenous communities. This examination is critical to understanding the demographic, social, geographical, and cultural factors that underlie drinking during pregnancy, and which groups may warrant additional support to ensure healthy outcomes.

CanFASD Issue Paper» The Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder — Since Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was first defined in North America in the 1970s, researchers have been working to determine prevalence rates of this disability. The social and economic impacts of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) on families and the broader community are profound, thus understanding the scope of the issue is critical. Over the years, researchers have used various methodologies and examined a range of geographical regions and populations around the world in their efforts to establish prevalence rates. Because of these differing approaches, FASD prevalence findings have not always been consistent. The purpose of this issue paper is to share the most up-to- date research findings, and to provide clarity around the question, “How many people have FASD?”

The Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research Network (CanFASD) is launching the only comprehensive Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) database in the world, providing key insight into the profile of individuals with FASD as well as Canada’s first-ever national prevalence statistics.

CanFASD can now get real-time data from clinics across Canada, helping inform policy and practice at a national level. Information from the database will also provide data back to each of the diagnostic clinics to help them inform and support their own work.

The database will also provide opportunities for national education and training to improve services for individuals with this neurodevelopmental disorder.

CanFASD’s national database is important for understanding the relationship between diagnostic capacity and service availability for individuals with FASD. In-depth research will inform policy decision and resource allocations pertaining to health services provided to those with FASD. Currently, there are more than 25 clinics from nine provinces and territories participating.

The economic cost of substance use in Canada in 2014 was $38.4 billion, or about $1,100 for every Canadian, and came with a staggering toll of 67,515 deaths, says a report released Tuesday.

http://www.ccdus.ca/Resource%20Library/CSUCH-Canadian-Substance-Use-Costs-Harms-News-Release-2018-en.pdf

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction partnered with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research to examine the data and estimate the harms of substance use based on health, justice, lost productivity and other costs.

While researchers acknowledged that Canada is in the middle of a crisis because of illicit opioid overdose deaths, their study concluded that two-thirds of substance use costs are associated with alcohol and tobacco.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/cost-of-substance-use-in-canada-tops-38-billion-with-booze-and-tobacco-on-top-1.3989126

 

TRC called for reforms to address needs of offenders with FASD, and for prevention to be made a priority

Russ Hilsher’s criminal record goes back more than a decade, to an assault charge in 2003. The 40-year-old has been in and out of jail for breaching conditions, other assaults and theft since.

On paper, Hilsher’s background tells a different story than the one the father of two talks about when he explains how he struggles to understand rules, laws and how to interact with police.

Originally from Ghost River, near the mouth of the Cheepay River in northeastern Ontario, Hilsher’s birth mother drank during her pregnancy. He was taken from her soon after and was diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder as a baby.

As a teenager he landed in a foster home in Winnipeg and struggled to adapt to city life. Hilsher often has a wide smile on his face, but his eyes take on a serious expression when he explains how he interprets the world differently. When Hilsher was younger, if he saw something on the street he would take it. He didn’t think it was theft.

Click below to the whole story…

http://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/without-screening-or-supports-offenders-with-fasd-face-revolving-door-of-justice-1.4536103