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...