This post is part of our new Feature Friday series called Spotlight on Service Providers. Over the next year, we will be featuring organizations and initiatives across Canada that provide much-needed supports and services for individuals with FASD and their families.
Who We Are
The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Society for British Columbia, governing body of the Asante Centre, is passionate about supporting people with FASD and other complex neurodevelopmental conditions to exceed their own expectations.
Now in our 21st year, we are proud to directly serve over 300 clients and families annually. With an integrated approach by a multidisciplinary team, the Asante Centre provides assessments and diagnoses for clients and supports them and their families with post-assessment follow-up and resources.
Located in the heart of the Fraser Valley, in Maple Ridge, BC, we are also proud to offer speech language therapy, education, research and resource development, and our flagship peer mentorship program for people with FASD.
Our Services
An essential service offered through the Asante Centre is speech language therapy. Individual therapy sessions are available to clients as well as group opportunities such as ‘All-Out Awareness’, ‘Reading Group’, and ‘Conversation Skills Group’. The speech language therapy team is proud to maintain a no-waitlist status for new and existing clients.
The Centre’s FASD Peer Mentorship Group is now in its third year. Led by adult mentors with FASD, the Group is an integral part of the Centre’s FASD Peer Mentorship Program. Participants, up to age 24, meet regularly to build relationships and share strengths, successes and challenges; to foster positive self-identifies; and to learn valuable life skills and self-advocacy.
The current pandemic health crisis and resulting limitations have sidelined some in-person sessions but have encouraged creative, virtual meetings and socially distanced events.
As funding allows, the Asante Centre continues to produce educational resources for clients, families, and professionals working in the field. Those resources can be found on our website at www.asantecentre.org and on our YouTube channel.