FASD conference in Saskatoon aims to educate caregivers

The mother of a young girl with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is hosting a conference in Saskatoon to help defeat the "shame and blame" culture around the medical condition.

It takes a community to raise a child, especially a child with a disability.- Shana Mohr

"It's so negative. There is so much doom and gloom, and the positive stories aren't out there," Shana Mohr told CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning.

Mohr has organized a two-day conference this week aimed at educating the people who find themselves at the centre of FASD care.

"Quite often people who are living on the spectrum are so incredibly misunderstood," said Mohr.

A mother's struggle

Mohr's motivation to learn was rooted in the home, when she adopted her daughter, who began to show signs of FASD as a toddler. Now eight years old, Mohr's daughter is doing much better.  

"She is flourishing. She does absolutely amazing. But I always say I can't do it alone; it takes a community to raise a child, especially a child with a disability."

For Mohr, the big change came when she attended her first support group meeting.

"It changed my life forever," she said.

Mohr went back to school, and now works as a training co-ordinator with the FASD Network of Saskatchewan. She now dedicates her life to helping others better understand FASD and, in turn, helping people on the spectrum achieve their dreams.  

"They don't need to go out into a world that is plagued with stigma."