National FASD Impact Week is coming up this September 27-30, 2026 in Washington, DC. Join advocates, clinicians, researchers, and professionals from around the country for four days of connection and learning at this free gathering.
Here are 10 ways that YOU can make an impact:
1. SPEAK UP – Raise your voice and be heard by our Nation’s leaders
Join a group of passionate FASD advocates for Hill Day on September 29 and take the opportunity to make your voice heard. Advocates like you got the FASD Respect Act passed. Now let’s take the next step and ensure its full implementation. Families with FASD need your voice on Capitol Hill. Take action and be heard!
Impact Week is your chance to have face-to-face conversations with congressional staff of the U.S. House and Senate as we advocate for the full implementation of the FASD Respect Act, along with expanded FASD awareness. Be part of the movement to educate legislators on FASD and it’s prevalence affecting 1 in 20 Americans.
Kathy Hotelling, co-founder of NCFASD Informed, remarks that, “Hill Day enables me to speak with my Congressional representatives about my passion: FASD. They hear from those of us with “boots on the ground.”
2. LEVEL UP – Enhance your skills and strengthen your organization
Take your expertise to the next level by engaging in Impact Week’s many opportunities to learn from the experience of leaders in the FASD field. Get hands-on experience that will directly enhance your organization or organizations you work with. A past attendee told us they are excited to have “the chance to stand with other rockstars as we advocate for FASD.”
Learn best practices in organizational strategy from members of the FASD United Affiliate Network as you gain insight and perspective from leaders across disciplines in attendance. Get access to the latest resources and expertise and learn from FASD United partners at the U.S. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) Center for Health Services Research (CHSR) as they provide updates on examining FASD in the Military Healthcare System.
3. BUILD CONNECTIONS – Meet new collaborators and partners
Build your network and connect with a community of leading advocates, professionals, and families from across the country. Join the FASD Symposium, a community discussion where the participants are the experts. This year’s Poster Exhibition is a great time to talk to researchers and other professionals about the latest information and research findings on FASD. Connect directly with leaders in the FASD field in meetings and during the breaks. Get to see the folks you may interact with virtually IN PERSON!
Annette Kunzman of the FASD Network of Southern California says, “Experiencing National FASD Impact Week is something I look forward to every year. Each year, the program has improved and expanded. Experiencing Impact Week includes meeting up with friends and making new alliances, getting insight into the successes and lessons learned of other organizations across the country, and honoring those who are championing policy and systems change.”
4. DESTIGMATIZE FASD – Stop the harmful stigma on FASD
Join the national movement to move from stigma to empowerment. Visibility is key to destigmatizing an issue, and Impact Week is your chance to raise the visibility of the FASD movement.
Counter stigma as you get to know self-advocates and hear their strength and hope. Take the time to learn about the latest positive interventions and support for people with FASD and hear the latest updates on non-stigmatizing language and how to utilize a strength-based approach to FASD.
5. GIVE BACK – Serve and support the FASD community
Impact Week is an incredible opportunity to share our experiences and give back. By being of service to others, we are helping ourselves grow and thrive. An attendee says they give back by “connecting with others, finding out about how our work intersects, and exploring possible collaborations.”
You can support the FASD community as you share your own experience with those newer to the field and invest in the future by supporting emerging researchers. While you are in Washington, DC, you can be an ambassador for the FASD cause.
6. LISTEN UP – Hear and amplify the voices of self-advocates
Impact Week is about centering the living experience and empowering advocates. Hear from some incredible self-advocates with the living experience of FASD and learn how you can be part of amplifying the voice of the FASD community. Meet families and engage directly with self-advocates as you find out how you can share stories from the FASD community. An attendee told us they are looking forward to “having my 12-year-old daughter who is diagnosed with FASD join me at the Gala and for Hill Day.”
Barb Clark, trainer and self-advocate with FASD Mosaic, says “Being part of FASD Impact Week fills my cup. As someone living with FASD, I am inspired by the passion, advocacy, and collaboration around me, especially by the growing recognition that self-advocates belong at the table and deserve to be heard.”
7. INSPIRE US – Light the spark and enhance your passion for the FASD cause
The community of dedicated and passionate people at Impact Week is a true inspiration. As you take part, your own inspiration will shine through. Reignite your passion as you connect with future collaborators and strengthen professional relationships. This is your chance to share your own personal story and inspire others to tack action as you meet the next generation of FASD leaders. An attendee told us that their passion for FASD work is sparked by “connecting with others who care about the same issue.”
Jennifer Werden of the Florida Center for Early Childhood says, “My first Impact Week lit a spark in me that has never gone out. It helped me realize that being “just a mom” was not a limitation but was the very thing that gave me a voice, a seat at the table, and the courage to help create change for the FASD community.”
8. HAVE FUN – Have a great time and enjoy the positive energy
While Impact Week takes work, it is also an opportunity to have a lot of fun! The feeling of joy and gratitude is palpable. Enjoy the opportunity to spend time with friends and meet some new ones. Have great conversations and share some laughs, and take the time to explore Washington, DC’s many attractions and activities. An attendee expressed looking forward to “being in DC and meeting people.”
The Red Shoes Gala, our biggest fundraising event of the year, is a wonderful time to celebrate the FASD community and honor champions in the field. Kathy Hotelling says, “The Red Shoes Gala is great fun!”
9. EDUCATE OUR SYSTEMS – Work towards FASD-informed systems of care
FASD is so often misunderstood, or not acknowledged at all, within our systems. Be part of the solution! Learn how you can educate the systems you interact with, and those in your community, to be more FASD-informed.
Join the FASD Symposium and get ideas on which systems to target and how to approach them. You can contribute to a White Paper on how to put in practice “A Call to Action” (report of the FASD National Task Force) through our development of an action plan and review of recommendations.
10. MAKE A DIFFERENCE – Improve outcomes for people living with FASD
When you take part in Impact Week, you make a real difference in people’s lives. Join us to create a brighter future for people with FASD. One attendee told us that he loves “being together with like-minded advocates to create change.”
You will be making a lasting impact as you join with others to make sure that leaders in Congress made aware of the FASD topic and the need for support. Together, we will make systems of care (education, health systems) more FASD-informed. Through your efforts, the FASD community will get stronger, more united, and ready to better serve the community. Join the movement to ensure that the voices and needs of self-advocates living with FASD are heard.
We hope you will join us in Washington, DC from September 27 to 30, 2026 for four days of advocacy, action, collaboration, and community. Impact Week is your opportunity to use your voice to give FASD a seat at the table.