Last Month I attended the 9th International Research Conference on Adolescents and Adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, the “Vancouver Conference” (from pre pandemic times) now hosted by FASD UNITED South of the border in Seattle. Firstly, I need to highlight how fantastic it was to be attending this conference again, connecting with professionals from around the world and hearing updates on all the research being undertaken. What was even more special about this conference though, was the number of individuals living with FASD and parents/carers that were in attendance, they are the people I learn the most from!
I am grateful to conference organisers who gave me the opportunity to present a poster of my PhD research, which offered a brief overview of how The Animation Curriculum evolved from more than 8 years of research.
I attended the pre-conference day centred around Memory, hosted by Dr Julie Kable and Dr Jacqueline Pei, and in the following days attended sessions looking at models of supported living, confabulation, criminal justice and emerging therapies. We also heard from the Adult Leadership Collaborative of FASD change makers, who shared with us real examples of the impact of FASD on everyday life.
I also attended the first in person meeting of the FASD Knowledge Share Collective, it was wonderful to connect with everyone without screens and be able to break off into smaller conversations where our work aligned. I had only recently joined this group before flying out to Seattle, so it was a well timed opportunity to meet in person.
I spent a lot of time connecting with colleagues from the UK, who I explored the city with after a long day at the conference. It was interesting to discover how our work and specialisms aligned in ways that we were previously unaware of.
I left Seattle filled with motivation, encouragement and new colleagues who I plan to meet with in the coming weeks. I am very excited to see what comes of these meetings and the new areas I can apply The Animation Curriculum to reach more individuals who can benefit from it.
have a great day,
Jessica