FASD Network of Southern California

12/20/2025

Calling all Educators, Caregivers, Parents, and FASD Self Advocates!

Your experiences hold the key to creating better educational outcomes for children with FASD.

FASD is often an “invisible” disability that is misdiagnosed and misunderstood. Your perspective is vital for improving recognition, resources, and policy.

Taking this short National Education Survey, even if you have taken it in the past, will directly inform future training and support initiatives.

Please lend your voice! Take the survey and share it with your colleagues, friends, and family:
🔗 bit.ly/FASDEdSurvey2025

11/08/2025

Share with all educators who teach individuals with FASD.

Calling all ! As a , your daily experience holds the key to creating better educational outcomes for countless children with . FASD is often a non-apparent disability, and your perspective is vital for improving recognition, resources, and policy. Taking this short National Ed...

10/31/2025

Interesting article from the university where the authors of the research article work about finding a specific type of brain cell affected in persons prenatally exposed to alcohol.

The article, written for laypersons, discusses how this cell type is associated with damage to cognitive processing and behavior of persons diagnosed with FASD.

This finding may help science develop treatments in the future to reverse or lower these effects.

Research reveals how alcohol exposure can significantly impair key brain cells and circuits in offspring.

10/20/2025

July 2025 research study by a team of researchers led by internationally recognized Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ( ) expert Dr. Philip May on the effects of paternal alcohol consumption pre-conception concluded that:

"Paternal alcohol consumption was associated with an independent, negative influence on child height, head circumference, and verbal IQ. Maternal drinking, when combined with heavy male drinking, was associated with more severe FASD outcomes..."

Read the article:

Paternal alcohol consumption may have an independent, negative influence on specific child outcomes at 7 years of age. Controlling for prenatal maternal alcohol and to***co use, significant independe...

10/18/2025

This piece is targeted to California parents, guardians and others whose children with disabilities are served through the federal laws designed to ensure that they receive the appropriate accommodations in order to succeed in schools.

Given the shutdown of the federal budget in Fall, 2025, Department of Education staff of programs intended to protect public education for disabled students and others have been furloughed. In California, its state agencies that manage compliance with IDEA, vocational rehabilitation, etc., for disabled residents are still working.

This article offers several actions Californians can take to ensure its elected representatives and other officials communicate California’s commitment to protecting these programs to the federal government and its agencies.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3gai86jUQc2nxBXqiu7MzC-NimZut_mReV3xW6_xX-Ye7QQ/viewform?usp=send_form

https://copaa.salsalabs.org/protectchildrenideareinstateeducationemployees/index.html

https://www.familyvoicesofca.org/advocacy-tools/

FVCA seeks to ensure that the voices of families of children with special health care needs are heard at both the State and Federal level when policies, votes, and decisions are made. We encourage families, professionals, advocates and all those interested in the well being of children with special....

10/14/2025

Target group: Children 8-12 with prenatal alcohol exposure and symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Study conducted in Los Angeles, CA, but is open to participants from anywhere in the U.S.

Evaluates the usefulness of Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (TNS) as a non-medication treatment for children with prenatal alcohol exposure and ADHD symptoms

Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Study Found here: www.fasdcollaborative.com/research

10/01/2025

Recent article from TIME Magazine on why, exactly, drinking alcohol is bad for you. Pretty serious stuff. And this article was written for adults; imagine these effects on unborn children and other individuals who are still growing!

https://time.com/7210400/why-is-alcohol-unhealthy/

Here's what happens to your body when you drink.

10/01/2025

10th International Conference on
Adolescents and Adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Integrating Research, Practice, and Policy Around the World
April 17 - 20, 2026
The Hyatt Regency, Seattle, WA

Description:
While research on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) has increased over the years, the unique needs of adolescents and adults are still too often overlooked. This conference will be a global gathering of people with FASD and their families, as well as researchers, professionals, and policy makers who seek to improve the health and lives of adolescents and adults with FASD.

Together, we will explore questions such as:
• How can practice and policy inform research, and how can research inform practice and policy?
• Can findings be shared across countries or from the lab and clinic to impact everyday life?
• What clinical issues should we be paying attention to?
• What changes in practice and thinking are needed to reduce stigma and improve outcomes?
• What are the most important directions for the future?

Objectives:
1. Learn how research can better address the real needs of individuals with FASD and their families, communities, and professionals in the field
2. Discover new research and ideas that can guide fair policies, practical supports, emerging approaches to treatment, and stronger collaboration across systems
3. Examine practice-based evidence and programs to spark opportunities for research collaboration and potential long-term studies
4. Share and exchange knowledge across different perspectives to create synergistic solutions
5. Learn directly from individuals with FASD and their families, ensuring their voices are at the forefront of efforts to reduce stigma and impact research and practice

We invite you to submit an abstract for this interactive conference:

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

PRESENTATION TYPES
• 3 or 6-hour pre-conference sessions
• Plenary sessions
/ 60 or 90-minute breakout sessions
• 15-minute oral papers
5-minute lightning talks
• Poster presentations

Abstract Submission Deadline
November 16, 2025
8:59pm PST/ 11:59pm EST

Full Guidelines and Submission Link
https://fasdunited.org/fasd2026/2026-call-for-abstracts/

Questions or Comments
Jo Votolato, Conference Director
[email protected]

Conference Website:
https://fasdunited.org/fasd2026/

09/30/2025

The third Lay of the Land Survey from the Adult Leadership Collaborative (ALC) of FASD Changemakers is now available for adults with FASD aged 18 and up.

This survey is completely anonymous (IP addresses cannot be tracked, and it is hosted on a university website.)

The subject of the survey is on the use by adults with FASD of funded services and unfunded supports.

Click “Take the Survey” on the first page of www.alcfasdchangemakers.org.

Please share the survey information widely, as this information will be the first of its kind collected on adults with FASD.

The survey was developed by members of the ALC, all of whom have a diagnosis of FASD.

If you have any questions, send them to Jan Lutke at [email protected]

Nothing About Us Without Us The International ALC of FASD Changemakers. Hey everyone, Let’s take a survey. Please read the letter — your voice matters. ALC FASD Changemakers LAY OF THE LAND SURVEY #3: HOW IT WORKS A survey about the use of funded services and unfunded supports by old teens and a...

09/20/2025

A new study out of UNC Nutrition Research Institute shows alcohol reshapes the whole pregnancy environment, not just the fetus. It can shift the mother’s microbiome, trigger inflammation, limit nutrients and oxygen by impairing the placenta, and even reflect the father’s preconception drinking through s***m epigenetics. These linked pathways suggest prevention strategies like microbiome support, reducing inflammation, and ensuring iron and glucose reach the baby.

For further reading:

uncnri.org/2025/08/14/beyond-direct-damage-how-alcohol-alters-the-entire-pregnancy-environment/

09/18/2025

FASD Respect Act Passes Congress September 18 2019

About the Act: See https://nofaspolicycenter.org/the-fasd-respect-act

Announcing the passage of the FASD Respect Act as part of HR2483, the SUPPORT Reauthorization Act, which awaits the President's signature. Join a Zoom celebration tomorrow, September 19th, at 1 pm Eastern to celebrate, reflect, and gather as a community.

Join us on Zoom tomorrow, September 19th, at 1 pm Eastern on Zoom using the link below!

Zoom Information
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89258294486?pwd=QzJFZFpjNER3NzEzZDdUWTFxcVl4UT09

08/21/2025

Health Problems (Comorbidities ) Found to Come with FASD in the United States

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-13366-9

Attell, B.K., Snyder, A.B., Coles, C. et al. Comorbidities associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in the United States. Sci Rep15, 29704 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13366-9

As reported in this article, researchers reviewed hospital records from over 3,000 people with FASD across the United States. The study included children, teenagers, and adults up to middle age. (People diagnosed with FASD in the 1970s are now in their 40s and 50s.) About half of the records studied were from teens and young adults between 15-34 years old.

They identified 57 different health conditions that commonly occur alongside FASD. FASD affects the whole body, not just the brain.

Mental health and behavior issues included:
* ADHD - trouble focusing and sitting still (28%)
* Anxiety disorders - feeling worried or scared a lot (23%)
* Major depression - feeling very sad for long periods (22%)
* PTSD - stress from traumatic events (17%)
* Suicidal thoughts - thinking about hurting themselves (19%)
* Intellectual disabilities - challenges with learning and thinking (19%)
* Problems with housing and money (7%)
* Issues related to how they were raised (12%)
* History of self-harm (12%)
* Ni****ne dependence, use of other drugs affected about 25% of the cases.

Physical health problems included:
* Heart problems - issues with the cardiovascular system (26%)
* Stomach/digestive problems - trouble with the gastrointestinal system (24%)
* Seizures and epilepsy - brain electrical activity problems (16%)
* Allergy and immune problems - body's defense system issues (10%)
* Thyroid problems - hormone gland issues (9%)
* Kidney disease - problems filtering waste from blood (7%)
* Cerebral palsy - movement and posture problems (5%)

The records also showed that many people with FASD have multiple conditions at the same time. Some had 2 conditions together (for example, in kids, FASD and ADHD), and others had 3 or more. The researchers stressed that people with FASD need team-based care from different types of healthcare providers.

This study looked at hospital records and didn't separate results by specific age groups like children, teens, and adults. However, the article pointed out that:
* Children and teens with FASD often have behavior problems that get noticed first (like ADHD).
* When doctors see certain combinations of problems (like ADHD plus learning disabilities) in patients, the authors recommend that they should consider testing for FASD.
* Adults with FASD may develop additional health problems as they get older
* Physical health problems (like heart and stomach issues) can affect people at any age
* People with FASD are much more likely to have these health problems than people without FASD

The detrimental effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the development of humans are well understood and include fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), a broad set of conditions referring to the adverse physical and behavioral health impairments associated with exposure to alcohol in utero. Using...