Before the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) was incorporated in 1990, founding members of the organization were already hard at work raising awareness and testifying on behalf of individuals and families affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. Over the following three plus decades, NOFAS has contributed to landmark achievements and set the stage for a new era of recognition and advancement for the FASD community.

1988-2000

• Testified in support of the Alcohol Beverage Labeling Act of 1988 requiring a health warning statement about the risk of alcohol consumption during pregnancy on all alcohol beverage containers
• Drafted, promoted, and led the first FAS-specific federal initiative that created the National Task Force on FAS/FAE
• Created the first FASD clearinghouse
• Launched the first FASD medical school curriculum
• Launched a parent support group
• Placed Public Service Announcements (PSAs) on national broadcasts featuring celebrities including Bonnie Raitt, Queen Latifah, Rodney Grant, Jimmy Smits, and Laura San Giacomo
• Contributed to the landmark 1996 Institute of Medicine Report and launch of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on FAS at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
• Contributed to the content and publication of the first FASD Resource and Referral Directory
• Successfully advocated for enactment of the FAS and FAE Prevention and Services Act in 1998 and funding of $27 million in 2000 to implement the Act through programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Published one of the first books for families living with FASD: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; Practical Suggestions and Support for Families and Caregivers
• Facilitated a national peer-to-peer teen youth summit and several FASD youth teen town meetings for underserved youth in Washington, D.C.

2000-2010

• Partnered with all government agencies charged with addressing FASD (CDC, HRSA, NIH-NIAAA, SAMHSA)
• Launched and expanded the NOFAS Affiliate Network (with Affiliates now in 32 States and 3 countries)
• Developed curricula for CDC’s Regional Training Centers to expand professional education on FASD for medical and allied health students
• Launched national and international presentations, trainings, and symposia on FASD identification, prevention, and treatment
• Inaugurated the “Circle of Hope” mentoring and peer support group for birth mothers
• Facilitated national Women in Recovery Summits
• Convened the interagency, interdisciplinary Terminology Summit in 2004 that formally defined FASD
• Advocated for the 2005 advisory on alcohol and pregnancy issued by the U.S. Surgeon General
• Advocated for 2006 funding for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) initiative to improve the quality of alcohol screening, intervention, and referral
• Launched annual FASD Hill Day and FASD Briefings that brought together advocates, policy makers, and researchers
• Facilitated FASD electives and seminars at Georgetown University Medical School, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago, and other medical and nursing schools.
• Developed and circulated a Kindergarten through 12^th Grade FASD prevention curriculum in more than 50 school districts and Tribal education systems nationwide
• Developed and disseminated the 40-hour NAADAC-certified FASD curriculum for addictions professionals.
• Launched the NOFAS Weekly Roundup featuring FASD news and resources
• Served as the only non-scientific member of the Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (CIFASD), the world’s largest FASD biomedical and behavioral research consortium
• Launched the first a peer-to-peer youth project for Native American youth and facilitated an FASD awareness project with Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma

2010-2020

• Participated in World Health Organization (WHO) deliberations to develop guidelines for pregnant women using substances and presented “FASD: A Vision for the Future,” at a WHO Forum on Alcohol, Drugs and Addictive Behaviors 
• Promoted adoption of Canadian and American Bar Associations’ FASD Resolutions
• Created the FASD Resource and Media Center
• Launched Webinars, YouTube Interviews, and other FASD series
• Advocated for the inclusion of neurobehavioral disorder associated with prenatal alcohol exposure (NDPAE)that was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition
• Initiated the observance of September as FASD Awareness Month, developed the FASD Month workbook, and annually facilitate and promote national and international celebrations
• Inaugurated the Stamp Out Stigma initiative
• Formed the Justice Task Force
• Expanded partnerships with the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and National Alcohol Beverage Control Association
• Launched and expanded the national Birth Mother Speakers Bureau
• Facilitated Tribal Women in Recovery Summits

2021 – And Beyond as FASD United

• Continuing existing successful initiatives and activities
• Drafted legislative language based on 30 years of experience and work on FASD that resulted in introduction of the bipartisan “FASD Respect Act” (S. 2238 and H.R. 4151) to improve, expand and coordinate federal, state, tribal, and private sector programs to address FASD and prenatal substance exposure through FASD prevention, screening, diagnoses, anti-stigma campaigns, and supports for FASD informed treatment and services for individuals and families. The bill also provides for FASD-informed curricula and trainings for medical practitioners, educators, foster care workers and families, judges, and others in the justice system.
• Created the Policy and Training Center to provide a wealth of information and advocacy tools to help promote the FASD Respect Act, recruit cosponsors, and achieve enactment.
• Launched the monthly Policy and Training Forum to disseminate information to FASD advocates around the country
• Publishing a handbook that focuses on solutions and strategies to alcohol use, alcohol use disorders and FASD for families from North American Tribal communities. 
• FASD United became the organization’s new name by unanimous vote of the Board of Directors
• FASD United adopted a new logo with its circle of rainbow colors reflecting the spectrum of individuals with FASD, the message of hope conveyed by Karli’s NOFAS logo, and symbolizing the diverse communities joining together to make a better world for individuals and families living with FASD.