Category: News
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Giving Tuesday: Kick Off the Charitable Season with a Gift to FASD United
During this season of giving FASD United is making ambitious plans for 2026, and we need you by our side. For a moment, we reflect on a year full of accomplishments. The International Research Conference, Impact Week featuring our 35th Anniversary Red Shoes Gala, Hill Day, call to action symposium, and more, passage of the…
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FASD Respect Act Language Presented to President
November 26th, 2025 It has been over two months since the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 2483), which includes authorization of the FASD Respect Act, passed both chambers of Congress. Yesterday, on November 25th, this bill was presented to the President, marking its final hurdle before officially becoming law. Now…
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Guidance on Autism and Substance Exposure Raises Concerns and Highlights the Need for Respectful Language and Scientific Accuracy
FASD United shares the concerns raised by leading autism organizations and maternal health organizations regarding new Federal health agency guidance on autism and prenatal substance exposure. These new materials and guidance are a cause for concern within the FASD community. FASD often co-occurs with autism, and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) often co-occurs with other substance…
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FASD Expert Mary Kate Weber Shares Lessons Learned and Reflects on a Distinguished Career with CDC’s Prenatal Substance Exposure Surveillance and Research Team
Mary Kate Weber recently retired from CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) after a distinguished career with CDC’s Prenatal Substance Exposure Surveillance and Research team, which has worked at the forefront of our nation’s federal response to the public health challenges of FASD and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). FASD United is…
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FASD Awareness Month 2025 is Here!
We are so excited to welcome everyone to FASD Awareness Month 2025. It’s a huge month for us and a huge year for all things FASD. Advocacy is ramping up as we make our way towards National FASD Impact Week later this September! FASD United has a range of new resources and exciting program updates…
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FASD NPN Spotlight: National Association of County and City Health Officials and Montana State University
As a presentation on stigma at the 2025 NACCHO360 conference was coming to a close, one of the attendees came up to research scientist Samantha Pinzl seeking resources. Samantha recalled with pride how she was able to connect this person to FASD United’s Family Navigator resources, as well as the resources of other organizations, including…
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FASD United and Partners Publish Special Section in Research Journal on FASD Prevention and Intervention
A special section, “Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Prevention and Intervention,” was included in a recent issue of Substance Use & Addiction Journal (SAj)—the official journal of the Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction. The articles represent the work of 11 cooperative agreements formerly funded by CDC to explore and describe…
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FASD Researcher Dr. Sarah Mattson on the Role of CIFASD and Evidence-Based Screening Tools like BRAIN-online
Dr. Sarah Mattson is a leading researcher in the Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (CIFASD) with a deep passion for understanding FASD and how the brain impacts behavior. Dr. Mattson’s current focus is on developing new screening tools that are more accessible to families and professionals, including BRAIN-online, an evidence-based screening tool for…
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Join the FASD Community for Advocacy Day on the Hill this September 16th
Join us for a day of advocacy on Capitol Hill on September 16 as part of National FASD Impact Week this September 15-17 in Washington, DC. Impact Week includes three days of advocacy, action, collaboration, and community. Join passionate FASD advocates for Advocacy Day on the Hill and take the opportunity to make your voice heard. Now…
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5 Reasons Why the FASD Community Needs Impact Week
In the FASD community, we continue to make great progress, yet much more work is needed. National FASD Impact Week is coming up this September 15-17 in Washington, DC. Join us for three days of advocacy, action, collaboration, and community. Here are 5 reasons why the FASD community needs Impact Week: 1. FASD is not…