Welcome to Season 4, episode 22 of the FASD Family Life Podcast. This is the only show about FASD hosted by an FASD Specialist and parent with 30 years lived experience.  I am Robbie Seale, your host and mom to five incredible people; including three teens diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.  It is my passion to help families thrive.  To learn more about me and my work check out my website,  https://fasdfamilylife.ca/

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) refers to a constellation of disorders resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol; the manifestations include birth defects, developmental disabilities, and neurological and behavioral problems.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a common disability impacting 1 in 20 people in the general population in the US, which is nearly 3 times more common than Autism.

This week I am in the Netherlands where it is estimated that 2000 babies annually are born with FASD.

I am speaking with Nienke Peters and Luke Schut to learn about an innovative photo book project that they have been involved in to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in Holland.

Luke Schut is the Project coordinator of the FAS-project. Her background is in pedagogics. She came in contact with the FAS-project through her Masters program.  Luke says "I am the most inspired by all these parents and caregivers, and the warm and caring FASD community. Let’s keep sharing stories with each other to make FASD more visible."

Nienke Peters is mother of 4 bio kids and grandmother of 4. Fostered 12 children with FASD and still fostering a boy with FASD and NAS. Met Allard de Witte in 2014 when he photographed one of our foster sons. Her family has been part of the Buddy Project of Witte Bos for over 4 years now.

‘Het Witte Bos’ is a non-profit organization, which initiates transmedia project on the cutting edge of journalism, art and society. The FAS-project started as a journalistic initiative, but eventually developed into a big multimedia awareness campaign, showing the potentially dangerous consequences of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. By storytelling, the project raises attention to a relatively unknown problem in a personal way. The FAS-project started in 2013 and launched with the book FAS-kinderen (Children with FAS).

After this the fas-project continued under the name FAS2025. In the past years the project developed and gained a wider reach & more impact. FAS2025 tells the story of Isiah, Lorenzo, Marcella, Mila and Jasmijn, following their journey towards adulthood for ten years. Their stories are told by a collection of stories, portraits and mini-documentaries. To give children with FAS(D) a face, make FAS(D) less abstract and to tell what FAS(D) means to them and how it impacts their lives. The project also consists of expositions, books, a podcast, a college tour to inform future professionals about FAS, readings at professional organizations who (may) come in contact with FAS(D), and a buddy project in which children/youngsters with FAS(D) are matched to a buddy to have a nice time together.

Link to purchase the book Children with FAS/Kinder mit FAS
https://fasproject.nl/en/product/children-with-fasd/
The English website: https://fasproject.nl/en

Have a comment or question about the show, email me at fasdfamilylife@gmail.com