About

When I first met a child with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, it was the mid-2000s and he was living in foster care. He was struggling, as was his carer and his family.

I didn’t know much about FASD and I couldn’t find information or resources to help us understand how to support him. Wanting to learn more, I travelled to Canada and the USA as a Churchill Fellow to find out what others were doing to meet the needs of children with FASD.

I was so impressed by what I saw that I developed a training workshop Understanding and Responding to FASD and presented this for many years.

Professionals who came to workshops often reflected back on times they had missed FASD among their clients, and described a ‘light-bulb moment’ when they realised what they had got wrong in the past.

My approach to FASD has been drawn from many hours of research, and talking with FASD experts about the evidence for what works.

I have learned from the stories of those living with FASD and their families and I combine insights from social work, trauma and attachment theories, and the neurobiology of the brain. I try to find the best ideas and make them easy to understand and use.

There’s nothing I enjoy more than sharing knowledge and learning from others about what is working well. My approach is that any professional who learns more about FASD can come up with better strategies in their own area of practice.

I can provide the information, research, evidence and some suggestions – but firmly believe the best solutions come from the ground up.

I’m particularly interested in supporting people who work with vulnerable families, those in the child protection and justice systems, and parents who may have undiagnosed FASD. But I also enjoy talking with midwives, mental health workers, and kindergarten teachers.

To read more about my skills and experience, you can look at my LinkedIn profile or contact me for more information.

Qualifications

• BA (Hons)
• MA (Social Policy) RMIT
• BSW University of Melbourne
• Diploma of Management and Leadership
• Certificate IV in Training and Assessment