Overview

The objectives of NIAFASEN is to provide

· EDUCATION: - Increase community awareness about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy and FAS/FAE; Distribute culturally relevant information through a health literacy program; Develop education curricula for inclusion at all levels of education.

· RESOURCES: - Develop culturally appropriate educative resources (e.g., pamphlets, brouchers, videos and websites); Utilize diverse methods of and settings for communication (e.g., conferences, workshops, focus groups, various media and press releases).

· ADVOCACY: - Advocating and lobbying for change in policies and practices at all Commonwealth, State, Territory and Local Governments, Services, Communities and Families.

· REFERRALS: - Referrals for assessments of prenatally exposed individuals.

· SUPPORT: - To family, individuals, governments departments, and educational institutions.

· TRAINING: - To provide training to all interested individuals re Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

· ASSESSMENTS: - To provide assessments of individuals who have been exposed prenatally to alcohol during pregnancy

NATIONAL INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN FOETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME EDUCATION NETWORK (NIAFASEN)

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Caring for Women, Children and Families

National indigenous Australian foetal alcohol syndrome EDUCATION NETWORK (NIAFASSN)

AWARENESS RAISING

Caring for Women, Children and Families

By raising the awareness of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome amongst community members, including women of all ages, health professionals, teachers and educators within the community and then expanding to the Australian population will make an important contribution to improvement to mental health in childhood that includes intellectual disability, cognitive impairments, learning difficulties, speech and language delay, and behavioral and emotional problems.

DRINKING DURING PREGNANCY CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS IN THE NEWBORN INFANT

NIAFASEN provides a program and workshops that cover the impact of the teratogen alcohol on the developing embryo and foetus, foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, child growth and brain differences.

This art work represents a pregnant mother and foetus and an infant with birth defects caused by maternal alcohol consumption.

ARTIST - Lorian Hayes an Aboriginal Australian

Traditional links to the Bidjera and Wadja people from Central western Queensland

LORIAN HAYES

· Epidemiologist

· fas educator

Phone: 0427316284

E-mail: NIAFASEN@Yahoo.com.au

DRINKING DURING PREGNANCY CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS IN THE NEWBORN INFANT