ESTEVAN - People in the Estevan area had the opportunity to learn more about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), thanks to a luncheon and a guest speaker on Sept. 25 at the Days Inn's Taylorton Room.
It was the second of four luncheons hosted by the FASD Network of Saskatchewan in the province this fall. A similar event was held in La Ronge the previous week, and there are future gatherings in Saskatoon and Regina. Guest speaker Shana Mohr talked about raising a 16-year-old daughter with FASD.
Executive director Andrea Kotlar said the organization hosts these luncheons because FASD is very stigmatized and misunderstood. They will travel anywhere they are invited.
"We've worked with a couple of the agencies in Estevan, and so we thought this was a good spot to host one of our lunch and learns," said Kotlar.
Twenty-one people attended the luncheon, Kotlar said, and she expects the FASD Network will be working collaboratively with some of them in the future. The crowd at these events is often comprised of people who work with those with FASD and family members of people with FASD.
"There were quite a few different organizations that were there, and I think FASD does touch people personally, and not as many people mentioned that, but it was mentioned here that people had personal family members … who are impacted by FASD as well," she said.
Mohr is the training and programs manager with the provincial network. She has been involved with the FASD community for 11 years, and she talks to people about the condition. She described the audience as engaged and noted people wanted to ask questions and bring her back to the community.
"There was definitely a vested interest in learning about FASD in this space today," said Mohr.
She agreed with Kotlar that FASD has a lot of stigma, and there are a lot of misconceptions about what is a complex disability.
"I love the opportunity to spread hope and positivity in the complex world of FASD," said Mohr.
Her daughter has inspired Mohr to learn more about FASD and do the work she does. She went back to school more than a decade ago to learn more.
"I always say she's my favourite teacher. She teaches me every single day about the complexities and also the strengths that can be found within the FASD world," said Mohr.
Individuals who are impacted face challenges, she said, but they also have a lot of strengths. They learn, but the people who learn the most are family members and other loved ones.
"It's a journey we walk with people, and when we can shift the way we work and the way we think and have a broader understanding of FASD, we can help set up people for success."
Kotlar said Mohr is one of the best speakers when it comes to FASD. People respect her and love her presentation.
Kotlar said the network is low-barrier and client-led. It believes in harm reduction, trauma-informed care and FASD-informed services. People don't need a diagnosis to access their efforts, so they would like anybody who thinks they might be impacted to call and ask questions.
