FASD World Tour: New Zealand Research into Caregiver Stress and Resilience

Welcome to Season 4, episode 8 of the FASD Family Life Podcast. the show for families by families raising children and youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. I am your host, Robbie Seale. I am an FASD educator, advocate and mom of five incredible people; including three teens diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. If my 30 years of parenting has taught me anything it is, that the struggle is real and so is success.

I am thrilled to be with you today! Thanks for taking me along with you. If you enjoy the podcast, consider being a monthly sponsor. This podcast is supported by listeners like you!  Click here to Support the show

FASD is a significant global health issue that needs attention which is why I decided to go on a WORLD TOUR to highlight the issue of FASD around the world as well as the tremendous work being done to re-educate society of the risks of consuming alcohol during pregnancy, to advocate for systemic changes that would recognize FASD as a permanent disability, and provide support for individuals, and their families, impacted by prenatal alcohol exposure.

Did you catch my last episode? It was a conversation with the founders of FASD Ireland Scott and Tristan Casson-Rennie.  Scott and Tristan spoke of their experience of not finding supports for their son with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.  They decided to step into the gap and in September 2021 they opened their non-profit FASD Ireland to be the 'go to' hub for everyone living with FASD, including families, carers, educators, healthcare workers and the wider community across Ireland.  They work tirelessly to challenge and lobby Government to legislate and implement practical strategies that will reduce and prevent FASD in Ireland. To learn more, check out the link   https://www.fasdireland.ie/ 

Subscribe now so you never miss an episode of the FASD Family Life Podcast.

This week the World Tour Continues with a stop in New Zealand and a conversation with Professor Anita Gibbs about her research that examines the FASD Caregiver experience and the impact on the social, emotional, physical, and spiritual health of the caregiver.  Anita trained as a social worker in the UK and worked in criminal justice, notably probation. She completed her PhD at the University of Bristol and after postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford she moved to Otago, NZ in 1999. She has taught numerous social work, sociology and criminology courses since with a particular interest in teaching in the area of families. Her research studies have included electronic monitoring, mental health, adoption, transcultural parenting, defining social work research, making social work accessible to sociologists, auto-ethnography, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and its impact on families, and the scholarship of publication. Anita is a registered social worker and facilitates a parent support group for families where FASD is an issue. Anita is also a parent of two boys with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, so she knows first-hand that the struggle is real and so is success.

Join our community of support! Together we will deepen our understanding of FASD & build a community of support.  Support Groups meet monthly
Subscribe to the FASD Family Life Community for only $10 / month
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=KB9GBN3H5YF9Q

Do you have a topic suggestion or a question? Write to me at [email protected]