We provide programs with the help of 56 dedicated volunteers. We are supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, our organizational mentor Open Doors for Lanark Children and Youth, Children’s Mental Health of Leeds-Grenville, and many other generous donors. These programs support individuals suspected to have FASD and their caregivers.

Youth & Young Adult Programs

Caregiver Support

Training

Youth Programs

The Rural FASD Support Network offers a Girl’s Group and a Boy’s Club for young people living with FASD in the area. These groups are led by peer mentors and help participants connect with others their age and learn about healthy relationships and internet safety.

Through monthly workshops, youth and young adults with FASD build life skills through peer mentoring using the James Stanfield LifeSmart curriculum. Each participant receives regular review and feedback based on their individual needs. We also provide funding to support young adults who use mental health therapies that are not covered by traditional health benefits.

Caregiver Support

Caregivers meet each month in person or online through a gathering led by peer facilitators. During these meetings, children are supervised by a licensed DSW. Caregivers and support workers share current successes and challenges and talk through possible solutions based on lived experience and research.

Caregivers can also take part live in our nationally recognized and locally broadcast Speaker Series, which features experts on FASD. A private Facebook page allows caregivers to connect with each other at any time. Members may also receive financial support for online and in-person caregiver training, including Foundations in FASD and Mental Health First Aid.

With the help of volunteers and community partners, families receive respite during high-stress times. Respite is also offered through events and programs held throughout the year

We offer engaging, family-based community events such as overnight camping, hockey games, BBQs, pool parties, charity softball games, and visits from Santa Claus. These events focus on fun through recreation and enjoying time together. We also provide day child care with FASD-informed support workers.

With our grassroots structure, we know what local and provincial services are available for people with FASD and where gaps exist. Because most of our members are individuals with FASD and their caregivers, we have direct knowledge of service provider programs. Our FASD Coordinators take part in networking events, which helps families and individuals receive the support they need more quickly.

FASD is still widely misunderstood, but with FASD-informed individuals and service providers, positive outcomes are possible. We believe public education and training are the first steps toward success for individuals and greater acceptance in society.

The growth of our organization is linked to the more than 100 workshops we have delivered and the thousands of people we have trained. We continue this work through our monthly virtual Speaker Series, which connects FASD Coordinators, provincial organizations, caregivers, and MPPs.

Our Speaker Series is also broadcast on Cogeco TV as part of its regular programming and is the only regular show in North America focused on people with FASD. We have also hosted the only two FASD Awareness Days at Queen’s Park, held in 2019 and 2020, using Voice First presentations.

Training

Our training modules are shaped by an advisory committee made up of individuals with FASD and their caregivers, along with a FASD-informed physician, psychologist, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapists, researchers, and educators such as principals, teachers, and educational assistants. Because of our large collection of Voice First videos, these training modules are used across Canada.

Youth with FASD share their voices in a clear and honest way, supported by their caregivers, to help others better understand their lived experience.

Our first and most popular training module is a 60-minute, research-based presentation. It introduces key facts about FASD, common characteristics, and important considerations. The training includes a large collection of Voice Firstvideos from youth with FASD and their caregivers.

To book this presentation, please email ruralfasd@gmail.com.

Our showcase training module is delivered by Theresa Lalonde-Pankow, a retired Principal who worked at both the school and board level with CDSBEO. She has many years of experience working directly with students with FASD and their caregivers. This three-hour training module was created by our full advisory committee, including the original author of Bill 172.

We believe long-term success requires an inclusive and focused approach to supporting students with FASD. Research shows the best practices shared in this training are essential for students with FASD, needed for some, and helpful for all.

The training covers six key areas: foundational knowledge for staff, working together across disciplines, a strength-based approach, supporting mental health, sensory processing needs, and understanding the function of behaviour. It also includes our full library of Voice First videos, which share real-life examples from students with FASD and their caregivers.

To book this training module, please email ruralfasd@gmail.com.

I feel like I belong here

Youth impacted by FASD

My friends are all here

Youth impacted by FASD

This is family!

Adult impacted by FASD

I have discovered I am not the only one.

Adult impacted by FASD

When I get here, I feel like I am home

Caregiver

We are literally changing lives here

Caregiver

Together, we can do this

Caregiver

“A study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health found that the overall burden and costs associated with FASD in Canada in 2013 was approximately $1.8 billion annually with justice costs being the highest.”

“Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.”