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11 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,January 17,2019 insidehalton.com See uS for colour andmodel availability Brand newunits priormodel years Financing availaBles a Huge savings Ready Powersports 430 Hensall Circle, Mississauga, Ontario L5A 1X7Call sales direCt at (905) 896-9996 Dundas St. EDundas St. E Burslem Road Burslem Road Hensall CircleHensall Circle H ensallSt. H ensallSt.www.readypowersports.com Hurry! Supply is Limited! pr Hurry! Supply Clean Sweep Clean Sweep Sales Even t Huge savings yy For Milton youth proba- tion officer, Laurie Fergu- son, and Halton police offi- cers like Ryan Smith, it's all about the kids; kids who through no fault of their own, fail to understand cause and consequence. Statistics show that youth with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) - permanent brain damage as a result of prenatal expo- sure to alcohol - have a greater chance of being in- volved in the criminal jus- tice system because of im- paired cognitive function, leading to behavioural and learning difficulties. One of the ways to miti- gate the negativity of those interactions and even pre- vent them, is to build a trusting relationship with police, an objective of Hal- ton REACH for IT, an ini- tiative of the Halton FASD Parent Working Group. "It is important to break down barriers between po- lice and youth living with FASD," said Const. Smith, a member of the Halton FASD Parent Working Group, along with Fergu- son, Nelson Youth Centre and Elizabeth Fry Society representatives, as well as parents. "We can act as a re- source for families and or- ganizations who deal with FASD youth. It is also im- portant to humanize the of- ficers as it assists with rap- port in the event of interac- tions with these youth." One such REACH for IT event was an early Decem- ber tour of the new police headquarters on Bronte Road where 11 FASD youth were matched one on one with police officers in an effort to "let them know that the police are human beings too and are here to support them and their families," said Smith. These events take a lot of planning to ensure they are FASD friendly and tai- lored for success, said Fer- guson, a longtime employ- ee of the Ministry of Chil- dren, Community and So- cial Services, Halton Youth Services. "These children/youth have brain damage; they need structure, support and supervision to be suc- cessful. It is not about changing the youth; it's about changing our ap- proach and expectations and changing the environ- ment, looking at things through an FASD lens," she said. "To see these kids in an environment where they feel safe and are doing 'kids-like events' is so amazing, refreshing and rewarding." The youth involved with REACH for It have not nec- essarily been in trouble with the law. However, giv- en their struggles there are stats to indicate that the likelihood of being in- volved in the criminal jus- tice system is greater, said Ferguson. "Punitive measures are not an effective deterrent HALTON EVENT HELPS BREAK DOWN BARRIERS BETWEEN POLICE AND YOUTH WITH FAS Eleven youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectum Disorder (FASD), police and volunteers strike a pose following a tour of the new police headquarters. The event was an initiative of Halton REACH for IT, a Halton FASD program, providing recreational outings for children and their families living with FASD. It is an "adapted program providing a high level of supervision, safety and learning for the participants." Halton FASD/Photo KATHY YANCHUS kyanchus@metroland.com NEWS See SIGNIFICANT, page 15