Pac Rim 2008 Info
Noted Speaker Series: Kathy Mitchell
Kathleen Tavenner Mitchell | Kay Nagata | Deanna L. Gregorio | Daniel Hubbell | Paul Glassman | Elizabeth DePoy | Stephen Gilson | Pōkā Laenui | Hewitt B. Clark
Monday April 14th, 2008: 10:15 am - 11:15 am in the Niihau Room on the topic of Hidden Disabilities
“Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD): A Hidden Disability”
It has been over thirty four years since Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) was first described in medical literature, yet we continue to experience a global denial about alcohol use during pregnancy, and still have physician’s and medical professionals across the globe that suggest that alcohol use during pregnancy is a safe practice. This unfortunately results in more cases of children born with a variety of developmental disabilities from alcohol exposure. Rarely are the disabilities attributed to maternal alcohol exposure. FASD is an “invisible disability”, and often individuals are thought of as “bad, lazy or just stubborn”. Ms. Mitchell will use her own personal journey of addiction to describe the addictive disease process and how she came to discover how her drinking had affected her own children. The importance of early identification of children with FASD will be emphasized.
Biography
Kathleen Tavenner Mitchell is currently the Vice President and National Spokesperson for the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and a noted international speaker on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Women and Addictions.
Ms. Mitchell is a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor, has a Master of Human Services degree and twenty-two years of experience as a national educator, clinician, and lecturer. She was appointed to the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
She is a faculty member of the Medical Ethics and Humanities Program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine as well as the Georgetown University School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine Selective.
She authored Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; A Guidebook for Parents and Caregivers, and co-authored Making a Difference: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Public Awareness Guide.
Ms. Mitchell created and supervised the development of FASD prevention curricula for students K-12 as well as curricula for addiction professionals and other allied health professionals. She founded the Circle of Hope, an international program for birth mothers of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
