Understanding and responding to FASD in behaviour support

As the Training & Marketing Coordinator at Specialist Behaviour, I’m passionate about making our courses both visible and valuable to practitioners. I coordinate marketing campaigns, manage our content, and offer online client support—always with an eye toward creating engaging, learner-focused experiences and problem solving.

With diplomas in Electronic Media and Visual Arts, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and current studies in Health & Wellness counselling, I blend a creative eye with a deep understanding of adult learning and motivation.

Outside work, you’ll find me on nature walks, creating healthy recipes and connecting with people through art and music.

Hello and welcome! I’m Jenn Colechin, a behaviour support specialist and Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) with over 26 years of experience.

My journey into the field of complex positive behaviour support is a deeply personal one, beginning with my own experiences as a trauma-affected child right through to becoming a kinship carer and permanent carer myself.

After pursuing extensive education in understanding human behaviour and disability care, I began working as a behaviour support analyst and therapist. I’ve supported individuals and their carers within schools, out-of-home care, and family-based settings.

My practice is grounded in evidence-based behavioural science and trauma-informed principles, offering comprehensive clinical support, including functional behaviour assessments (FBAs), individual supervision, and tailored interventions.

My experiences within the sector and the challenges faced by support professionals and the individuals they care for are what led me here.

I started Specialist Behaviour to build a community of learning and growth that drives much-needed change in the support sector.

I am passionate about learning, thinking and talking about FASD.
When I first met a child with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, it was the mid-2000s and he was living in foster care. He was struggling, as was his carer and his family.

I didn’t know much about FASD and I couldn’t find information or resources to help us understand how to support him. Wanting to learn more, I travelled to Canada and the USA as a Churchill Fellow to find out what others were doing to meet the needs of children with FASD.

I was so impressed by what I saw that I developed a training workshop Understanding and Responding to FASD and presented this for many years.

Professionals who came to workshops often reflected back on times they had missed FASD among their clients, and described a ‘light-bulb moment’ when they realised what they had got wrong in the past.

My approach to FASD has been drawn from many hours of research, and talking with FASD experts about the evidence for what works.

I have learned from the stories of those living with FASD and their families and I combine insights from social work, trauma and attachment theories, and the neurobiology of the brain. I try to find the best ideas and make them easy to understand and use.

There’s nothing I enjoy more than sharing knowledge and learning from others about what is working well. My approach is that any professional who learns more about FASD can come up with better strategies in their own area of practice.