This workshop will explore the connection between Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and mental health to highlight why children and youth with FASD are at increased risk for anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, and trauma.
Clinicians will introduce the concept of learned helplessness, which is a pattern that develops when repeated challenges and misunderstandings lead to feelings of defeat and reduced motivation, and discuss how it uniquely impacts people with FASD.
The session will offer practical, evidence-informed strategies for caregivers and professionals to support mental health through trauma-informed care, co-regulation, environmental structure, and strength-based interventions that help rebuild agency, resilience, and emotional well-being.