Whatever your area of expertise is, you’re going to be working with people with FASD. ~ Delena Hills
Delena Hills (web) is a speech-language pathologist working with BC’s Asante Centre. Delena works with a range of clients who have neurodevelopmental issues, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD.
In this conversation, Delena provides a broad overview of the causes of FASD, and tour through the areas of the brain that can be impacted by it. She also gives us a high-level overview of the criteria the Asante Centre uses to diagnose FASD.
Delena goes beyond explaining FASD in physical and scientific terms; she also provides several examples and experiences from her work, along with powerful anecdotes and explanations shared by adults who live with FASD.
Delena encourages us to not rely on our assumptions about FASD, and urges us to keep an open mind – especially when it comes to thinking about the number of people who might be impacted or affected.
This conversation is full of practical tips and background for legal professionals who work in areas of the justice system involving people with FASD. Other legal professionals are sure to expand their knowledge in this area too, and pick up some insights on the value of seeing law and justice through the eyes of others.
Topics Covered
- Overview of the Asante Centre’s work
- Causes of FASD
- Criteria for FASD Diagnosis
- Areas of the brain affected by FASD
- FASD’s impacts on justice system clients
- Examples and anecdotes from people with FASD
- Tips and practice for justice system professionals serving people with FASD
- Statistics on FASD
Quiz
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Show Notes
4:22 How Delena describes what she does for a living
5:50 Intro & overview of the the Asante Centre and its services
8:20 Delena’s path into her current position
9:30 Why the Asante staff say the only experts in FASD are the people who have it
11:30 What casues FASD
12:35 Alcohol and fetal development
15:00 Criteria for FASD diagnosis
16:00 Areas of the brain affected by FASD
18:00 Lack of cognfitive impact for some people with FASD
19:40 Affect disorder / affect regulation and FASD
21:10 Memory and FASD
22:20 Adaptive behaviour
23:30 Reasons for long waiting lists for assessments for FASD
25:28 Ways FASD could lead a person into contact with the criminal justice system
28:04 High risk for no apparent reward
28:30 Impaired language skills
30:10 Language skiils and difficulty expressing requests or thoughts
31:50 Asante project with Law Foundation to support legal system professionals
33:10 Signs a person might be impacted by FASD
43:04 Checking for understanding through active responses
39:00 Preparing clients for discussions (e.g. in court) that may be triggering for them
42:00 Building rapport and recognizing the humanity at the core of the legal issue
44:00 Diffculties with timelines, sequences of events and general awareness of time
48:10 Confabulation
50:10 Challenges planning ahead and arriving at the right place at the right time
52:00 Don’t assume or infer intention from actions (e.g. person not showing up for a meeting on time)
54:15 Visual aids for conveying information
58:00 Helping someone who can’t assume or predict what might happen in court
59:15 Podcast with Jerrod Brown
1:00:44 Helping a client associate a consequence with their behaviour or actions
1:01:50 Translating the language of court, and the lawyer-client relationship for a client with FASD
1:03:00 Preparing a client with FASD for court
1:04:00 Helping a client with FASD interpret or react appropriately to body language and tone of voice in court
1:06:40 More tips on confirming understanding through active responses
1:07:45 Learning from people with lived experience
1:12:00 Statistics about people who have been disgnosed with FASD, about people who are incarcerated, and who have come into contact with the justice system
1:14:08 Thoughts on the future for justice and people with FASD
1:19:00 What Delena would say to herself if she could send an email back in time
1:20:00 The Asante Centre’s project with the Law Foundation of BC (forthcoming)
1:21:24 How Delena defines success for herself
1:21:50 A tough choice or sacrifice Delena had to overcome to get where she is today
1:23:13 If Delena had to do a week’s worth of work in 3 hours
1:24:10 How Delena looks after herself
1:25:40 A good resource for people who are too busy to do a lot of research in this area – Myles Himmelrech’s videos
1:26:52 Before my work in the law is done, I want to…
1:27:50 Where to learn more about Delena’s work and the Asante Centre online
1:28:20 Delena’s asks / calls to action for listeners