Learn more about a condition that affects all levels of our community
The Interlake FASD Committee is working on a community event to acknowledge Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day, on Sept. 13 and is inviting residents to come out and learn more.
“Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is a diagnostic term that describes the range of effects that can occur in an individual who was exposed to alcohol prenatally. FASD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that can impact a person’s learning, physical, cognitive, behaviour and development,” explained Sherisse Picklyk Dear, who is one of the co-chairs of the Interlake FASD Committee.
The Interlake FASD Committee is a group of individuals that are dedicated to providing information, education and awareness about FASD in our community. They have been a group in our community since 2014.
Because there aren’t a lot of specific supports or programs for pregnant people who are using substances in rural communities, Picklyk Dear says that she recommends that people approach families dealing with FASD with understanding.
“We would really recommend a non-judgmental, trauma-informed and harm reduction approach as best practice for all individuals that are intersecting with folks that are using substances during pregnancy,” she said.
Picklyk Dear explained that Health Canada estimates that nine in every 1000 children born in Canada have FASD, often stigma, shame and fear are associated with the disorder and are intrinsically connected to the plethora of reasons why a pregnant person may not seek support if they’re using substances during pregnancy.
Work in Selkirk with regards to increasing awareness and advocacy for those with FASD has been going on for a very long time prior, but in 2021 the provincial government declared Sept. 9 FASD Awareness Day. The City of Selkirk in 2022 did the same with Mayor Larry Johannson declaring Sept. 9 FASD Awareness Day in the city.
“We’re super, super happy about the progress that we have made in terms of FASD awareness and understanding in this community,” said Picklyk Dear.
Continuing on with the advocacy work, this year on Sept 13 they will be hosting an FASD Awareness Day event at Selkirk United Church at noon. They have decided not to host the event on the traditional day of Sept 9 as that week is back to school week and they wanted to be understanding of the fact that this is a very busy time for families.
“This year we’re going to explore the intersectionality between FASD and Child and Youth sexual exploitation,” said Picklyk Dear.
She explained that this talk was created with those with FASD in mind but would likely be informative for many people in our community.
“Folks with FASD can be more vulnerable to online and offline predators due to the impacts of alcohol on the brain, noting that neurotypical brains also struggle to navigate the online world. You read the news and there are countless stories, sadly, about online apps that predators definitely use to fish in the waters for kids. The predators are going to take advantage of these factors given the opportunity and these predators are tech-savvy, and they are master manipulators. So, we definitely want to get the word out to the community — parents, caregivers, and anybody that really connects with a child or youth that has FASD or not — that the dangers that are online are very real, and we need to help our kids and help educate our kids,” said Picklyk Dear.
The event’s guest speaker will be Lisa Balcean who will share her expert knowledge as an educator, a researcher and a parent.
“She will provide some best practice recommendations and approaches when working with youth who have FASD and are intertwined with sexual exploitation. Then we’re also going to have a panel discussion with Lisa and myself, offering opportunities for the audience to ask questions about FASD and the intersectionality with sexual exploitation,” said Picklyk Dear.
The event will also feature some light snacks and refreshments to keep everyone focused on learning as well as door prizes and some informational booths. There will also be a booth that will create red shoes for people to wear as red shoes are a way that people spread FASD awareness.
Picklyk Dear encourages residents who are interested in learning about FASD to come to this event.
“We like to give people some snacks and make it a casual opportunity to ask any question you had about FASD, to mix and mingle with the individuals that are there to get a better understanding of how FASD can impact upon an individual’s life, and how you, whatever profession you’re in, or whatever you do, caregiver, etc, can make a difference in the life of a person with FASD,” she said.
