My first connection into the FASD world in Aotearoa was through a previous colleague, who is parenting a FASD tamaiti tāne. I then had the opportunity in my role to collaborate with Christine Rogan (of Alcohol Healthwatch) and FASD-CAN in hosting Tracy Mastrangelo and Dr Jacqueline Pei in Aotearoa and organised their speaking tour.
Since then, my professional role has always been interwoven with supporting caregivers who describe the challenges they are facing with their tamariki or rangatahi. It’s a privilege to support and work with others in encouraging caregivers and empowering them in their knowledge of FASD.
I believe some of the biggest challenges facing people living with FASD in Aotearoa are accessing support services across all sectors, having FASD recognised as a disability in Aotearoa, building empathy and acceptance across society, helping whānau access low-cost assessment and building the understanding of FASD best practice across education, health and justice.
