David Boulding: the Intersection of FASD and both the Law and Sex

Living with FASD is an educational and human interest show for those living with the effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol, their loved one and anyone interested in learning more about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, brought to you by someone with both professional and living experience with FASD. This week’s guest on the Living with FASD podcast is Canadian attorney David Boulding. Well known for several of his papers, including Mistakes I have made with FASD Clients, and Lawyer’s Brief, David’s reputation is built upon teaching attorneys and judges about the differences between con-compliance & non-competence, and on his work to prevent young men with FASD from getting into trouble with underage girls. In this episode, we talk about caretaker burnout, the isolation experienced by both those living with FASD and their loved ones, the need to educate law enforcement and judges about FASD, the need for daily rehearsals in deep breathing in response to stressful topics and/or questions and in always being polite to authority, the importance of having prepared binders with our loved ones’ diagnoses, symptoms, typical behaviors, strengths and current photo in for “just in case,” the need to frequently talk about the rules of sex, of high protein diets and playing sports, challenges with not generalizing learning across situations, and more. David was encouraged to go to law school by his uncle Jim Boulding.  Jim believed there was no job in David’s future with a PhD in poetry and that the family operation, Strathcona Park Lodge and Outdoor Education Centre, needed a lawyer.  Instead of following his dream to get a PhD in poetry, David obtained his law degree from the University of British Columbia in 1987 and completed his articling with the famous environmental and criminal lawyer Greg McDade. In 1988 he started his own solo law practice with a focus on legal aid, criminal, immigration, and family law.  In 2000 Judge C. Truman of BC Provincial Court (Vancouver) invited David to present at the Vancouver conference of fetal alcohol and the law. The resulting paper, Mistakes I have Made with FAS Clients touched a tender spot with many and was widely read and eventually translated into French, German, Japanese, and even Australian.Since then David has spoken domestically and internationally on the topic of fetal alcohol and the law to judges, lawyers, social workers, and probation officers (click here for more info).  In his spare time David volunteers at Strathcona Park Lodge helping with its upkeep.   David can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone @ 250 283 7152. His website is DavidBoulding.com If you would like to suggest topics of the show or just to say hello, you can reach me at [email protected]. If you would like to become part of the podcast community, hop on over to Facebook and join our group “Living with FASD podcast.” To order a copy of my book, Sip by Sip: Candid Conversations with People Diagnosed as Adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), the Amazon link is: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGMQLBLH I am a Certified Facilitator of FASCETS Neurobehavioral Model. If you would like information about the neurodevelopment model and would like to book a training for agencies or community groups, please reach out to me here: https://calendly.com/kaspertrainingandcoaching/consultation If you would like to talk with me about coaching services, either as a parent of a child with FASD, or as a neurodivergent adult (perhaps by listening you’ve begun to question if prenatal alcohol exposure could explain some of your struggles in life), please reach out to me here for a complimentary consultation: https://calendly.com/kaspertrainingandcoaching/introductory-chat-with-patti As always, thank you for tuning in this week. Please consider liking/subscribing/sharing this podcast. Have a wonderful week! Until next Monday, Patti Kasper Your FASD Coach