Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his Member's statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays, Mr. Antoine, you may conclude.

Mahsi, Mr. Antoine. Déclarations de députés. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. FAS and FAE are preventable but not treatable. This means that when a child is born with FAS, we will have to deal with the consequences every day for the rest of that child's life. Experts in the field know that people with FAS do not process information the same way other people do. Many FAS children have impaired rates of learning, exhibit reduced attention spans, are easily distracted, and demonstrate poor social judgment.

Mr. Speaker, the policy of our government is for inclusive education. This allows for each child to be in a classroom with peers their own age. However, to allow a child with FAS to progress with his or her peers it is necessary for them to have learning programs specific to their needs.

Mr. Speaker, teachers in the Northwest Territories face a dilemma. In order for children with learning disabilities to progress with their classmates, individual programs have to be developed. However, in order for effective individual programs to be developed, it is necessary for an assessment to be performed on the child. Testing and assessment of disabilities is a specialized field and one that most teachers are not trained or qualified to provide. Presently, there is only one qualified individual in the North who can perform FAS assessments.

Mr. Speaker, when a teacher graduates from a recognized college or university, they have areas of expertise. There are teachers who specialize in special needs. These individuals are trained to develop programs for students with learning disabilities. The majority of classroom teachers are trained to teach children with average abilities. They do not have extensive training in the development of programs for students with special needs.

Mr. Speaker, I have the utmost respect for the teachers in our classrooms. Myself, I would not like to be placed in a classroom and be responsible for maintaining the interest of, disciplining and instructing 18 or so students with varying degrees of abilities. Each and every teacher is trying to do his or her best. Our system must supply more support for the classroom teacher in the area of special needs assessment and the development of programs for students identified with learning disabilities. We owe this to both the teacher and the child.

FAS is a territorial problem, Mr. Speaker. Consultants in B.C. are producing FAS training modules which may be used by other regions across the country. Rather than reinventing the wheel, the Departments of ECE and Health and Social Services should investigate these modules or develop modules of their own that could assist teachers in developing individual programs for children with FAS in the classroom. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 3, Members' statements. Déclarations de députés. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, FAS is not new. It has been with us since the discovery of alcohol. It has just taken us this long to figure out the great damaging affects of alcohol ingested during pregnancy. We have heard the grim statistics today in this House, the most sobering one being that 25 percent of women have acknowledged that they drink during pregnancy.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of special needs has been before this House my whole time as an MLA and it has been very, very emotional and very, very pressing. One of the big issues is, how do we deal with special needs children in the schools?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Education referenced the Student Support Needs Assessment for the Year 2000, and I have gone through the document a couple of times, read it and I have made some underlinings. While it acknowledges that there are problems and they have done lots of work in this area, there is no specific or clear reference to FAS or FAE. There are references to all types of behavioural issues and some disabilities such as attention deficit disorder, Mr. Speaker, but as we have heard in this House, while diagnosis is difficult, unless you know what you are dealing with in a school, it is very difficult to prepare a proper plan for that individual child.

A behavioural problem, because there are problems at home resulting from a possible separation in the family or other family problems, is going to be a totally different problem than anger management problems at school resulting from FAS or FAE, Mr. Speaker. Therefore, I would encourage the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to take a look at how they can improve this document. It is a good start, but very clearly if we want to really make a difference and try to provide the best service possible for children with FAS/FAE, when we do student support needs assessments, it has to be identified, as it has been in this House, as a very critical problem, that while preventable, is not treatable.

When we start doing that, then we can start building the kind of programs and the kinds of supports that we need to deal with these very special children. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 3, Members' statements. Déclarations de députés. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over two years ago, I made my concerns known to this government on FAS/FAE. Two years, Mr. Speaker, and not much has really changed. As an example, there is still only one medical specialist who is capable of properly diagnosing FAS/FAE in the Northwest Territories.

That is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker. A moderate form of FAE can cause low birth weight and growth, small body size, and also skeletal abnormalities. Mr. Speaker, children and adults who suffer from these conditions have difficulty understanding and learning. We know that FAE is preventable, but it is also incurable.

Mr. Speaker, in spite of the recent funding proposed for the Early Childhood Development Action Plan, it is still not enough to enable us to address FAS/FAE needs. We need more funds and resources to provide public education and preventative programs that will support the victims, especially our children.

In the Mackenzie Delta, there is the need to address the problem of FAE/FAS, especially in our education system. Some seriously affected students, especially the ones with disabilities who need extensive supervision and others need support to help reach their full potential.

I acknowledge that the government's FAS initiatives in the Beaufort Delta region have started. They have taken on some programs which include FAS parent workshops, in-home support, working groups and support in early childhood programs. Mr. Speaker, it is still not enough.

Mr. Speaker, from 1997-98 to 1998-99 in Fort McPherson there has only been a 0.3 percent increase in the number of teaching positions, an increase that is only one-third of a position in the classroom. The divisional board of education teachers have demanded more allocation and more resources to assist them in their classroom. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There having been no nays, Mr. Krutko, you may conclude.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, the divisional board of education in the Beaufort Delta has identified teacher allocation as being insufficient. There is a basic need to ensure that we have the teachers in the classrooms that are needed to assist with this major problem of FAS/FAE in the classroom. The needs in our education system have to be a priority of this government and along with providing support to the FAS/FAE students, we must ensure we have the programs to assist them. Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will be asking this government questions to update us and brief us as to exactly what efforts have been made to improve the FAS/FAE effects in our communities.

-- Applause

Merci, Monsieur Krutko. Déclarations de députés. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There being no nays, Mr. Nitah, you may conclude.

Déclarations de députés. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are holding this theme day on fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effect to raise the awareness of the problems in the Northwest Territories. For too long, there has been a stigmatism attached to admitting that there is a problem. I know this, Mr. Speaker, because in the past I have seen the unwillingness to talk about this problem in the communities that I represent.

I am proud to say, Mr. Speaker, this is no longer the case. For example, the community of Fort Providence, through programs developed by the Deh Gah Elementary and Secondary School, is tackling the issue of FAS and FAE. Through positive programs that do not attach blame or identify children with FAS or FAE, the school is creating an atmosphere that ensures all students, including those with FAS and FAE, can make the most out of their educational experience. To ensure that students are not distracted, hallways have been cleared of all displays. Teachers now focus on teaching expected behaviour rather than punishing students for unacceptable behaviour.

The school has also shortened the school day by eliminating the afternoon recess, so that end of the day programs can be offered that build on the student's interests and strengths. Mr. Speaker, this initiative, although started at the pre-school, has evolved to include the community.

Representatives from Education, Culture and Employment, Health and Social Services, the Department of Justice, and Deh Gah Gotie Dene Council, the Aboriginal Head Start and the friendship centre are now involved. At a recent interagency meeting to allocate the Brighter Futures dollars for the upcoming fiscal year, it was reaffirmed that FAS and FAE would remain a high priority in the community.

In the month of March, there will be an awareness and prevention session for students. The interagency group and the school staff will attend the FAS conference in High Level. From April 5th to the 10th, there will be a course open to anyone but primarily for social workers, nurses, educators and other caregivers on supporting FAS- and FAE-affected persons.

So you see, Mr. Speaker, some communities are dealing head on with the issues of FAS and FAE and are serving as models for other communities in what you can do if you take a cooperative approach. Now, Mr. Speaker, perhaps the government could perhaps take note of the benefit of a cooperative approach.

All government departments must work together to reduce the incidence of FAS/FAE, to treat those people already affected by this preventable condition. Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to continue my statement.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There having been no nays, Mr. McLeod, you may continue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment and education boards must allow the schools to implement strategies that will support children with FAE and FAS. We must decrease the student-teacher ratios. We must provide teachers with the training to deal with the students affected with FAE and FAS to look at changes to the curriculum. We must provide support both financially and morally to non-government organizations such as friendship centres who are on the front line in delivering preventative programs aimed at reducing the incidents of FAS/FAE.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in applauding the efforts of the communities in the Deh Cho for their efforts in dealing with the issue of FAS and FAE. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that each child born with FAE or FAS faces a life of physical, emotional and mental challenges. Often, Mr. Speaker, the physical defects will be less serious than the overall intellectual and emotional hurdles. In one study of older adolescents with FAS, researchers found reading comprehension was below a grade 4 level, arithmetic scores were at a grade 2 level, and the social and intellectual behaviour averaged that of a seven-and-a-half-year-old child. Reasoning, judgement, self-control are severely impaired in an individual with FAS.

Mr. Speaker, I have heard anecdotal information that in some classrooms in the Northwest Territories there may be a population as high as 60 percent of people suffering from this. Even if this situation is only half as bad, we are facing a situation of crisis proportion in the decades to come.

Prevention will be an important component of our overall plan, but we are also compelled to deal with the people who have already been affected. The victims and families of FAE/FAS will need early diagnosis and treatment so children can reach their potential. We will need assistance in the classroom and the community for children and adults with FAE/FAS.

We will need structured residential facilities for adults who cannot live in a home setting. In short, Mr. Speaker, we will need a continuum of care for decades to come for people who suffer from FAE/FAS. Using jails, medical long-term care facilities or institutions to warehouse adults is not acceptable today and it will not be in the future.

Additionally, Mr. Speaker, the government should take the lead to destigmatize this situation at the territorial, community and the family levels. Here is the key, Mr. Speaker. Whereas we admit there is a problem, we are finding ways that we can develop solutions. Fort Simpson and Lutselk'e, as we have heard, are two communities with recent progress in this. As my colleague has mentioned, the Department of Justice has introduced a program at the Yellowknife Correctional Centre to help inmates with just this kind of innovative programming.

Mr. Speaker, through the Early Childhood Development Action Plan, health care and educational professionals are receiving additional funding, but I have yet to hear the actual dollar amount that will focus on FAE/FAS. I seek consent, Mr. Speaker, to conclude.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There having been no nays, Mr. Braden, you may continue.

Where does this leave us, Mr. Speaker? Where does this leave us? We appear to be making progress in dealing with children with FAE/FAS, but there are no apparent contingencies, either today or in the future, for adults with FAE/FAS other than jail and long-term care medical facilities. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services on the need for the continuum of care for people who suffer from FAE/FAS. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In view of the many comments made today in the House in regard to the matter of FAS/FAE, I would like to share my own personal experiences on this very matter, as it has been a valuable life experience for me personally. Not only since raising a stepdaughter who is diagnosed with FAE, but I have also worked with many young offenders who have been diagnosed with similar characteristics, Mr. Speaker.

In my work with young people with these symptoms, quite often the medical community felt that the only way to eradicate any behavioural problems was to put them on Ritalin. Mr. Speaker, one of the first steps I have taken as a parent was to prevent the use of this drug to suppress any kind of erratic behaviour, basically forbidding the administration of this drug to the child who required a different technique in her development.

Mr. Speaker, in listening to what has been said in this House today, I can only say to the Members that anyone who works with or has raised a child with these symptoms should share in this concern. Sometimes it requires tremendous patience and special care in working with a special child. As of today, this child, who is now 13, can only read at a grade 2 level, but her mother has spent a lot of time and dedication and fortitude which has helped her develop good oral skills that I am very proud of, Mr. Speaker.

In terms of how we deal with these special people, I have always advocated a need to develop a special school for them. Unfortunately, the ideology is to keep everyone in the classroom, hoping they would integrate and function at that same level. We know that clinically, this is impossible. I continue to urge the Members to support this alternative approach.

I cannot agree more that we need to educate future mothers on the effects of FAS/FAE so it would be most appropriate to introduce education and the effects that alcohol and drugs will have on unborn or newborn babies because the mother was consuming alcohol during pregnancy.

Mr. Speaker, I am no authority on the subject matter, but I have found through my own experience and common ground which I dealt with it, a lot of tough love, the coach's approach and a lot of patience pays dividends. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I share the comments of my colleagues that we need to find methods that deal in the prevention of FAS/FAE. As a surrogate father to a child who has...