Self-regulation is the ability to regulate your thoughts, feelings and behaviours in response to your environment. Self-regulation is important in our daily lives, but individuals with FASD often experience challenges with self-regulation.

In this webinar, Dr. Jacqueline Pei will explain the concept of self-regulation and how it relates to individuals with FASD. She will provide examples of strategies to improve self-regulation as well as describe the growing number of evidence-based interventions. Dr. Pei will be presenting alongside Jennifer Noah and Tracy Mastrangelo, who will discuss self-regulation from the lens of a caregiver and service provider, respectively.

This panel discussion will be hosted by Tammy Roberts, the executive director of the Foster Family Coalition of the N.W.T., and member of the CanFASD Family Advisory Committee.

Click here for registration details.

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting us all in different ways. Individuals with FASD and their caregivers are experiencing changes in their daily lives. Routines have shifted, coping strategies are changing, normal stressors are accentuated, and there is a lack of supports available for individuals and their families.

Researchers from across Canada are looking to study how the pandemic has changed the lives of neurodiverse individuals and their families. They are asking for families of children, youth, and adults with FASD to complete a short online survey about their experiences during COVID-19. The survey takes 20-30 minutes to complete.

You are eligible if you:

1) are a caregiver (parent or other legal guardian) of an individual with FASD;

2) live in Canada;

3) can read and write in English; and

4) have access to a device with internet connection.

What the researchers learn from this study will help us identify the current needs and priorities of families during the pandemic.

Visit the Families Facing COVID-19 website to participate.

This study was approved by the University of Calgary’s Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board (REB20-0737). For questions about this study, please contact the study coordinator (enhancelab@ucalgary.ca, 403-441-8473) or the study’s principal investigator, Dr. Carly McMorris (camcmorr@ucalgary.ca, 403-220-5457).

Self-regulation is the ability to regulate your thoughts, feelings and behaviours in response to your environment. Self-regulation is important in our daily lives, but individuals with FASD often experience challenges with self-regulation.

In this webinar, Dr. Jacqueline Pei will explain the concept of self-regulation and how it relates to individuals with FASD. She will provide examples of strategies to improve self-regulation as well as describe the growing number of evidence-based interventions. Dr. Pei will be presenting alongside Jennifer Noah and Tracy Mastrangelo, who will discuss self-regulation from the lens of a caregiver and service provider, respectively.

This panel discussion will be hosted by Tammy Roberts, the executive director of the Foster Family Coalition of the N.W.T., and member of the CanFASD Family Advisory Committee.

Click here for registration details.

Retrieved from: https://preventionconversation.org/2020/08/12/canfasd-webinar-registration-supporting-self-regulation-with-individuals-with-fasd/

Both partners play a role in having a healthy baby. Reduce the risk of FASD. Go alcohol-free with your partner. #thinkFASD #COVID19

Canadians have been drinking more since the pandemic, and liquor laws have been relaxed. Scientists wonder what the long-term effects will be.

All those hilarious boozing alone memes that cropped up during the pandemic lockdown may not be so funny in the long-term if policy-makers don’t address harms associated with increased alcohol consumption, say experts.

According to a new study released by the Canadian Journal of Public Health, there is a strong correlation between exposure to mass traumatic events and increased alcohol consumption and related harms both in the short term and for one to two years after a crisis. However, there is limited evidence available for policy-makers, and this has researchers worried.

Provinces across Canada took different approaches to regulating alcohol and relaxing restrictions during the pandemic. Most provinces, with the exception of Prince Edward Island, quickly declared liquor retailers an essential service. But when P.E.I. attempted to close liquor stores during the initial phase of the lockdown, the public outcry forced officials to reverse that decision.

Vancouver relaxed restrictions on access to liquor by allowing restaurants to offer alcohol for takeout with take-away food, and cut the retail markup on liquor sold to restaurants and bars in order to help keep the hospitality industry afloat, and when restaurants reopened, licensed patios were fast-tracked.

Both North Vancouver and Port Coquitlam have launched pilot projects allowing drinking at selected local parks and public spaces, and Vancouver is considering doing the same.

Dr. Erin Hobin, a scientist at Public Health Ontario and the co-author of the study said that there was no clear, coordinated national guidance for how best to control alcohol during the pandemic, but suggested that a study of how different jurisdictions handled relaxations and restrictions may provide information for better evidence-based policies in the future.

“There are a lot of factors that need to be considered when making decisions about how best to control alcohol during a pandemic,” said Hobin.

Click here for the full article.

By DENISE RYAN

Retrieved from https://preventionconversation.org/2020/07/27/its-official-covid-19-pandemic-has-led-to-an-increase-in-alcohol-use/

Click here to download ‘The FASD Patient Journey’.

Executive Summary

In September 2018, the Alberta FASD Cross Ministry Committee initiated an FASD Patient Journey Project to examine the current state of FASD services and supports from the perspective of persons with FASD, their caregivers and their service providers. After 120 interviews in 34 communities across Alberta, the project team has captured not only their perspectives on service delivery but their frustrations, ideas, hopes and dreams as well.

These perspectives are captured throughout the report in the form of direct quotations. It is important to include these quotations as they provide a raw firsthand account of the challenges and complexities of FASD. They illustrate the daily struggles of FASD service providers, of caregivers and of persons living with FASD.

After capturing and analyzing these perspectives, the project team has produced recommendations they believe will address the many concerns of the persons interviewed.

For more information, please contact

Randal Bell
Provincial Planning and Capacity Management Provincial Addiction and Mental Health Randal.Bell@ahs.ca

Retrieved from: https://preventionconversation.org/2020/07/23/alberta-the-fasd-patient-journey/

NEW YORK — There are many risks that go along with drinking alcohol. For a pregnant woman, those risks can be especially harmful for their unborn child. Despite the dangers, an unnerving survey finds a quarter of young adults are unaware of the threat alcohol poses for a fetus.

A poll of 2,000 British adults between 18 and 25 reveals slightly more than a quarter (26 percent) don’t know health recommendations for drinking while pregnant. When it comes to alcohol, Britain’s chief medical officer says the safest drink for expecting mothers is no drink at all.

Poorly informed

The study was commissioned by the National Organization for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (NOFAS). The group which supports families affected by pregnant drinking says few people are getting all the facts about this issue.

Researchers for the OnePoll survey find 49 percent of young adults are getting their information about alcohol use and pregnancy from social media. Just 17 percent correctly know alcohol exposure in the womb can cause more long-term harm than heroin exposure. Such exposure can lead to various fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).

“Information is power. It is deeply concerning that so few young people are aware of the dangers,” says Sandra Butcher, of NOFAS-UK, in a statement. “FASD is preventable – no alcohol, no risk.”

Only four in 10 young adults say a teacher discussed this topic with them.

‘Perfect storm’ during the pandemic

The study says beer and liquor sales in the U.K. have skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic. Advocates fear the lack of proper pregnancy knowledge and rising alcohol use may cause a spike in FASD cases.

Click here for the full article.

by Chris Melore

Retrieved from https://www.studyfinds.org/alarming-survey-quarter-young-adults-dangers-drinking-while-pregnant/