Could we fall behind? A look at FASD in Canada

canfasdblogUncategorized4 Comments

The 8th International Conference on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is coming to Canada, from March 6-9, at the Westin Bayshore. Though Canada is honoured to host a conference featuring so many global FASD experts from multiple disciplines, our progress in critical action is hindered by the lack of a national strategy. CanFASD (The Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research … Read More

A Systematic and Person-Centered Harmonizing Framework for Housing Individuals with FASD

canfasdblogUncategorizedLeave a Comment

  On behalf of the Alberta Clinical and Community-Based Evaluation Research Team (ACCERT), and the extended Housing Initiatives team comprised of individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), parents of children with FASD, academic researchers, and housing and FASD experts, I am pleased to announce that we have completed our framework and evaluation plan for housing individuals with FASD. This … Read More

Article Summary: Suicide risk in adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

canfasdblogUncategorizedLeave a Comment

This study looks at suicidal ideation and serious suicide attempts among adolescents with high-functioning FASD, between 13-18 years old, and compares the prevalence rates of suicidal ideation among typically developing adolescents. Statistics among the general population 17.2% of typically developing adolescents had thought about suicide in the last year 2.4% of adolescents in the general population attempted suicide at least … Read More

Save the Date! Building Better Bridges: A Shared Understanding of FASD

canfasdblogUncategorized1 Comment

SAVE THE DATE! On April 4th, 2019, Jeff Noble has partnered with CanFASD to host a one-day conference titled: “Building Better Bridges: A Shared Understanding of FASD”. The conference is open to parents, caregivers and service providers, and will provide participants with a greater understanding of FASD via interactive lessons and education on current research. Registration information will come out … Read More

Article Summary: Challenges of diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in foster and adopted children

canfasdblogUncategorized1 Comment

FASD has been found to be 10-15 times more common among foster/adopted children, potentially affecting 17% of all children in foster care. However, many children remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Misdiagnosis or undiagnosed FASD is common in the foster care system, due to caregivers’ lack of knowledge of the birth mother’s alcohol use during pregnancy. This study examined the prevalence rates … Read More

Guest Blog: What to Do when you are at the end of your rope, but there is no rope left to tie a knot and hang on longer?

canfasdblogUncategorized3 Comments

Recently, I was invited to attend the monthly meeting of the Collaborative Solutions Action Group, part of the FASD Collective in Calgary. The topic of discussion this day was the experiences of some families in their efforts to find appropriate services for their loved ones affected by FASD. Most of the experiences shared revolved around youth aged 14 – 20; … Read More

Better Nights, Better Days – Facebook Live Series in February

canfasdblogUncategorizedLeave a Comment

Better Nights, Better Days is an online program created by sleep experts from across Canada. Sleep is very important for children to improve their behaviour, mood, performance at school, and overall well-being. Around 25% of children experience insomnias, such as falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up too early. However, getting in-person treatment for poor sleep patterns can prove to … Read More

Top Articles of 2018

canfasdblogUncategorizedLeave a Comment

CanFASD staff, researchers, and Family Advisory Committee members worked together in selecting certain articles to highlight some of the work that has been published over the last year in the field of FASD. Over 460 papers published on FASD in 2018 were narrowed down to a final list of 35 that focus on CanFASD’s areas of emphasis in FASD prevention, intervention, … Read More

Article Summary: Prevalence and characteristics of adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in corrections: a Canadian case ascertainment study

canfasdblogUncategorizedLeave a Comment

Individuals with FASD are overrepresented in criminal justice settings, but there is currently little evidence to describe prevalence rates. The study summarized below estimated the prevalence of FASD in a Northern Canadian correctional context. Main Findings Of 80 individuals assessed, 14 received a diagnosis of FASD, equating to a 17.5% prevalence rate Among those who received a diagnosis, only two … Read More