Examining FASD Diagnosis ECHO

“Benefits and Barriers to FASD Diagnosis: Systems, Policies, and Practices”

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In this session, Deb Evenson will facilitate a conversation with Karen Lomack and Mary Donaldson on how a formal FASD diagnosis can impact a person’s interactions with systems and policies, including self-advocacy for systems change and best practices for working in both criminal justice and educational systems.

Participants will:
• Be able to describe how self-advocacy and FASD awareness can impact criminal justice practices.
• Understand how the policy of FASD as an “other health impairment (OHI)” impacts the educational system, policies, and practices.

Deb Evenson, MA, is an internationally recognized FASD consultant, master teacher, and behavior specialist with more than 40 years’ experience teaching and developing programs for individuals with highly challenging behaviors. She worked with her first student with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in 1982 and has been a pioneer in discovering practical solutions that work for individuals with FASD. She has the unique perspective of one who has spent thousands of hours helping to develop programs and problem solve solutions for children, adolescents and adults with FASD in schools and communities throughout the world.

Karen Lomack is Alaska native born in Anchorage and raised in Akiachak, AK. Anchorage has been home to Karen and her family since May 2005. She is bilingual with Yup’ik as her primary language and English as her second language. She is also mother to five children, two sons and three daughters. Karen enjoys making Alaska native art during her free time, camping, fishing, and subsistence activities. Karen is now working with Stone Soup Group as a statewide FASD Parent Navigator.

Mary Donaldson is an experienced educator serving children in rural and urban schools in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Alaska. After serving as a teacher and administrator her experience in public education resulted in creating a school in St Paul Minnesota that served a diverse population of at-risk youth. Mary has served children at the last Alaska Native Reservation in Metlakatla and is currently living in Nome, working as the Director of Special Education for the Nome School District. Mary is the mother of three children and enjoys spending time with her two grandchildren.

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