Post Secondary Education in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Dorothy Badry, Rehabilitation Sessional Instruction
Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies Program


The Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies Program at the University of Calgary offers a post-diploma program (Bachelor of Community Rehabilitation [BCR]) to students working in the field of rehabilitation who want to complete a degree. The degree is available to students in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan through small groups of students identified as Community of Learners (COL). These students can access the program through a variety of means, including distance education.

One area of required study is in the area of health as it relates to disability. The COL has identified a particular interest in the study of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Many students felt that they had encountered disabled adults in their practice who indeed had many of the characteristics of FAS, but had never been formally diagnosed. It was decided that it would be beneficial to offer a course in this area to provide professional training and promote awareness of FAS among community rehabilitation professionals. COL students identified a need to receive training in the many complex issues related to FAS, an entirely preventable disability.

Why should students in the field of disability studies do a course in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome? FAS is an emerging field of study. Professionals in the field of rehabilitation and social work are increasingly aware of the complexity of social, physical,behavioural and emotional issues for those affected by FAS.

The development of a new course, CORE 591.11 ­ Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Related Disability Issues - was considered a priority in creating awareness regarding the complexity of FAS and to provide post secondary training to students presently working in the field of disability around the province of Alberta.

The course was offered at the 500 level in the spring session and was filled to capacity with 27 students from across the province. The course structure included a pre-course assignment in which students completed an annotated search of FAS sites on the Internet and reviewed resources in their home communities. The curriculum provided core medical information from Dr. Schroter who works with a wide variety of children affected by FAS and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, living in natural and foster families. The clinical social worker, Liz Lawryk, provided information on practice issues, case management, and justice issues. The writer provided information on the topic of risk factors relating to the abuse of persons with disabilities. The final session in the course was a presentation and dialogue with several parents who shared their experience in terms of living with a child diagnosed with FAS. This session allowed for a meaningful exchange between students and caregivers in terms of understanding the complexities of day to day life, issues around child development, experiences within systems and individual family experience.

The governments of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have joined together in a partnership for the purpose of addressing FAS. This involves funding, education and the sharing of expertise and resources to treat and prevent FAS. Initiatives under this partnership include three annual conferences on FAS, the first to be held in 1999.

Lyne Callan, Manager, AADAC Training and Communication Services and Chair of the Inter-Provincial Conference Planning Committee welcomed a meeting in January, 1999 with the writer and senior student Steve Petingola, to negotiate ways to include students in the Prairie Conference on FAS. We were invited to attend a meeting of the conference committee at AADAC and the committee was immediately supportive of the development of a course around the upcoming conference.

The conference featured national and international experts, parents of children with FAS, representatives from the Alberta Medical Association, justice system, aboriginal communities, service providers, clinical practitioners including physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, rehabilitation counsellors and others. It provided students with access to a wide variety of expertise in FAS and that this was a unique, collaborative opportunity to work with the community.

Students in CORE 591.11 pre-registered for the conference with the support of Margaret Ann Stroh, Conference Services Manager at the University of Calgary. The students attended plenary sessions by Dr. Ann Streissguth, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the Director of the Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit in Seattle. She addressed the topic of Alcohol and Pregnancy, From Awareness to Action.

The other plenary session was with Dr. Sterling Clarren, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Director of Infant Inpatient Services at Seattlešs Childrenšs Hospital and Director of the Washington State Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic and Prevention Network who addressed the issue of FAS: Primary Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning. Both Dr. Streissguth and Dr. Clarren are experts in the field and major contributors to the academic literature on FAS.

Students were able to choose from a variety of presentations that covered a broad spectrum of topics including:
Students were also expected to provide documentation of their attendance in a post conference session. A textbook on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome published by the Special Needs Adoptive Parents Organization based in Vancouver, B.C. was used and ensured Canadian content in the curriculum. A challenging take-home exam was provided to students at the outset of the course and a term paper based on students particular area of interest in FAS and approved by the instructor was also required as part of the course evaluation.

The combination of the classes and conference was a model favourably evaluated by students and the structure allowed them to pursue areas of study that were of particular interest to them. Our student member of the course team, Steve Petingola stated: "It was refreshing to participate in the study of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and attend the FAS Conference at the University of Calgary. This learning forum provided me with more insight into this specific disability and allowed me to collaborate and learn from other professionals in our community and from across Canada and the United States. This was the last course that I took to complete my Bachelor of Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies Degree and it gave me a new perspective on a multi-disciplinary approach to supporting individuals living with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and a recognition of the daily challenges faced by these individuals."

A course of this nature serves to support the link between FAS and the broad spectrum of services and supports offered to persons who are disabled. The social construction of disability is remarkably different when the cause is genetic as opposed to preventable reasons such as the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. FAS is an emerging area of study in the field of disability and the Prairie Provinces have taken a strong stand in terms of supporting education in FAS and prevention. Pregnancy and substance abuse raises a plethora of thorny ethical issues and has serious implications for the field of disability. AADAC and the Inter Provincial Prairie Partnership on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome should be commended for supporting the development of a unique educational opportunity for the students in the Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies Program. Although there has certainly been post secondary training in FAS, it is believed that this is the first half credit university course offered in Canada as part of a degree program. The positive response to this collaborative offering sets the stage for future curriculum development of the study of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome within university settings and in programs related to human services and in the field of disability studies.

Questions? Comments?
Please contact Dorothy Badry: Kbadry@ucalgary.ca
For information on the Community Rehabilitation and Disabilities Program, check out the Web site at
http://rehab.educ.ucalgary.ca or contact Dr. Anne Hughson at 220-6273.

Further reading: L Teresa Kellerman of the FAS Community Resource Center wrote an article called The Visible Kid with the Invisible Disability and highlighted some important issues. The full article is available at http://www.come-over.to/FAS/brochures/ and click on 'The Visible Kid.'
Professionals, students, general public dealing with youth can contact Allison Johnson at 297-4664. She is on the Local FAS Committee representing AADAC Youth Services Centre. 1005 17 St. N.W. Calgary, T2N 2E5.

Professionals, students, general public dealing with dealing with adults can contact Dayle Bruce at 297-3071. She works at AADAC Treatment and Prevention Services and is Co-Chair of the Local FAS Committee. 2nd Flr. 1177- 11Ave.S.W. Calgary, T2R 0G5.

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