Alcohol is more damaging to an unborn baby than tobacco, crack, marijuana or heroin, and while many women stop drinking as soon as they discover they are pregnant, alcohol can affect an unborn baby even before a woman knows she is pregnant.
On Wednesday, September 9, communities around the world will be recognizing International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day. It is a day for activities which educate around the subject of FASD.
CC Duncan, behaviour management consultant at 4children.ca, has invited Jeff Noble to speak in Powell River on Tuesday, September 8. From Brampton, Ontario, Noble is on a quest to provide hope and education for people caring for someone with FASD. He does this through online applications, in-person training sessions, demonstrations and consultations. He has an online Caregivers’ Kick Start Program with participants in many countries.
Noble is beginning his Making Sense of Madness North American tour here then heading down to Vancouver for FASD Awareness Day before criss-crossing Canada and the US, with his final stop in Ontario.
He understands how hard it is for the caregivers. Every day, there are more babies born with FASD than HIV, Down’s syndrome and spina bifida combined. Babies with FASD have brain damage. They grow into children with FASD. They grow into adults with FASD. Often they are the child who has trouble in school, are labelled “behaviour problems” and end up abusing alcohol and other drugs, getting in trouble with the law, and generally have a hard time with life. They make the same mistakes over and over, and their behaviour is misunderstood as willful misbehaving. They want to be good, they try to be good. It’s an ongoing challenge. Many families face a life-long struggle to help their loved ones find supportive education, housing, employment and appropriate social networks.
Noble’s online presence continues through his FASDForever website and blog and he also developed the FASD1Oh!1 training workshop.
Earlier in 2015, Noble decided to do a 23-stop tour to connect with some of his online followers and continue to share his knowledge and expertise with them and others. To make this tour accessible to as many individuals with an FASD, their family members, service providers in health/mental health, addictions, justice, education, adoption, prevention, child welfare and others interested in FASD Noble launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to fund most of the travelling costs. By absorbing these costs host communities, like Powell River, are able to charge a minimal registration fee.
Anyone interested in attending Noble’s presentation can find more information at 4children.ca. The website describes Noble’s style as highly interactive, deliberately “jargon free” training presented in a down-to-earth way “to ensure every attendee leaves knowing they can make positive changes in the way they understand, interpret and live or work with individuals affected by an FASD.” He will speak at Community Living Place, 6831 Artaban Street from 9 am to 4 pm, with more details available upon registration with a price of $25.
