Taylor was born in at just over 4 lbs. with both eye and ear deformities that were corrected by surgery by age 2. It was fortunate that his birth mother gave a full and honest history after his birth, admitting to drinking a 6 pack of beer most nights with occasional binge drinking and hard liquor throughout her pregnancy. Cathy and Mark adopted Taylor when he was a day old. Doctors at the state medical university were consulted and indicated the baby boy would likely be fine but may have some mild learning disabilities! We figured we could handle that! Throughout Taylor’s early years his teachers told us he could not concentrate, listen or follow directions. Learning disabilities, we thought! He scored high on all of his tests so we weren’t worried. In 2nd grade we were asked to have him tested and he was diagnosed at Johns Hopkins with ADHD. The doctor told us his mother’s alcoholism was irrelevant, and Taylor scored too well in standardized tests to have FAS. We figured we must have been wrong. Taylor remembers only constant reprimands and punishments from those years and the daily panic he felt trying to be good. By middle school he was picking up and bringing home all kinds of items. He weaved convincing stories to explain it and we totally believed him. He was a warm, funny and sweet, so it just didn’t make sense that there could be anything else going on. We eventually began to find stashes of hundreds of lighters, knives, gadgets and baubles. By high school there were phones, iPods and he had begun stealing money. Taylor was arrested in 7th grade for bringing a small pocket knife to school and suspended for 2 weeks. The police interview scared him to death. When he went back to school, we found another pocketknife on him! A week later the same thing happened. That’s when we knew there was something seriously wrong, and we began working with a counselor. Unfortunately, we were unaware of how significantly his emotional and mental health had been affected by the constant facade he had to put on to get through each day. We tried to educated teachers, his counselor and his doctors. Taylor was teased and picked on and we made the school take action. But his anxiety and depression had become severe. We had another neuro-psych test done, but by then we had had empowered ourselves with research on what was now being called FASD. The doctor agreed and diagnosed him with ARND. After reading numerous papers on line by Dr. Paula Lockhart who ran the FASD Clinic at Kennedy Krieger, I was told she wasn’t able to take any more patients. I got her email and told her all about Taylor. She contacted me and told me to make an appointment. All Taylor’s anxiety and fear, all of the things he had been afraid to talk about finally found an understanding and supportive ear. We heard it all- and we were shocked! This was also the same year we met Kathy Mitchell and became involved with FASD United. We couldn’t believe there were other people with the same issues. Why didn’t anybody else seem to know about it? Although we become knowledgeable and able to speak successfully to the education system, no one looked at Taylor and believed he had brain damage. He was too smart and well spokenon the outside he looked like every other kid his age. Taylor reached rock bottom in 10th grade after we requested another meeting to evaluate him for an IEP. At the meeting, the special education teacher gave him a 5 minute lecture on allowing his parents make excuses for behavior which was no more than complacency and laziness on his part. She told him to step up. Taylor’s despair was apparent. When we got home, Taylor cut himself all over his body with a razor blade and ended up in the Johns Hopkins Psychiatric Ward. When he finally came back to school, teachers started listening. From that point on his school counselor called a meeting for all Taylor’s teachers each quarter, and allowed us to give a half hour presentation on FASD. But years of stress and fear had already taken its toll. Taylor was arrested for felony breaking and entering in an abandon building. He had been leaving school and hiding all day for weeks. He suffered a total breakdown and a second stint at Hopkins. We worked hard to get him into a special school his senior year but it was not easy. Finally, the school agreed to admit him into the County’s Homewood Alternative School. Taylor thrived! His unique and special “qualities” were recognized and he became a successful peer counselor. Taylor graduated and was asked to be the student speaker (valedictorian) at his graduation ceremony, where he had many parents in tears with the heartwarming story of his struggles and successes. That year Taylor began speaking as an advocate for FASD United as well. He has spoken at several conferences and seminars on FASD and loves to talk to a crowd! His specific experiences with FASD and the mental health issues that affect many who suffer with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders seems to resonate with people in a different way than when they hear it from a specialist or practitioner. Taylor has just completed a two-year training in Electronics Systems Technology and is on track to receive his AA. We are helping him look for a job in this field and getting him whatever assistance he needs to accomplish that. He plans to continue advocating for others like himself and to educating doctors, counselors, teachers, pregnant women and his peers, about the devastating effects of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. He certainly has a lot to say, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

FASD United is extremely pleased to honor Bonnie Buxton and Brian Philcox while we commemorate International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Day across the country and beyond on September 9, 2006. Bonnie and Brian are great heroes and we salute their courage and spirit in advocating for this issue. Below is an excerpt from Bonnie and Brian’s FASD Day press release. “Trust your crazy ideas,” says a sign on Bonnie Buxton’s bulletin board. Along with her husband, Brian Philcox, Buxton came up with the idea of International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day (FASDay) in January 1999. “We were digging out our cars from the great Toronto snowstorm,” Buxton recalls. “Warming up over coffee, we realized that on 1999-09-09, a whole lot of nines would be coming together. What about using that date to remind the world that during the nine months of pregnancy, a woman should not drink alcohol?” Adoptive mother Teresa Kellerman of Tucson, AZ, joined them as a coordinator. On the first FASDay, September 9, 1999, communities across Canada and the U.S., several European countries plus South Africa, New Zealand and Australia participated. “Now there are more communities than we can count,” says Philcox, who keeps records for the FASworld Canada website, www.fasworld.com Buxton and Philcox became advocates for families struggling with FASD after their daughter Colette, now 26, was diagnosed with Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) in 1997, aged 17. At that time she was addicted to cocaine and living on the street. “We knew that her biological mother had been an alcoholic,” says Buxton, “but we had no idea that this bright little girl was struggling with permanent brain damage.” Buxton explains that individuals with ARND have seemingly normal intelligence, but will struggle lifelong with invisible learning and behavior problems resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol. ARND is the most common form of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), which affects about 300,000 Canadian children and adults. Bonnie Buxton is a journalist, editor and screenwriter whose articles have appeared in numerous Canadian magazines and newspapers. Her book about FASD, “Damaged Angels,” was published in Canada (Knopf, 2004) and in the U.S. (Carroll & Graf, 2005). A career communicator, Brian Philcox has worked in government, academia and the private sector. He is currently president of his local Rotary Club, focusing on issues related to the mental and physical health of children and adolescents both locally and internationally. In 1999, Buxton and Philcox created FASworld Canada, a not-for-profit organization which provides a support group for parents in the Toronto area, gives workshops and FASD training for parents and professionals, and consults to families across Canada and worldwide. Arizona’s Teresa Kellerman continues to partner with Buxton and Philcox, developing ideas for volunteers on the website www.fasday.com. On September 9, 2006, volunteers across Canada and the U.S., and many other countries – including the UK, both Irelands, France, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Luxemburg, South Africa, Uruguay, Japan, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand – will be participating.

The Center for Behavioral Teratology (CBT) leads the quest to fully understand Fetal Alcohol Syndrome by conducting innovative research on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. Using techniques ranging from basic science to sophisticated brain imaging, CBT scientists work to identify the specific brain and behavioral changes that occur following exposure and explore novel ways to mitigate these effects. This type of research is essential to the development of improved diagnostic tests and effective interventions for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. FASD United salutes the Center and its dedicated research staff for their invaluable contributions to creating a better future for individuals and families affected by FASD. Jennifer Thomas received her Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1995, completed postdoctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute, and is currently an Associate Professor in Psychology at SDSU. She is on the Editorial Board of Neurotoxicology and Teratology and a member of the Education Committee of the Research Society on Alcoholism. Her research focuses on mechanisms of alcohol-induced brain and behavioral dysfunction, along with the identification of novel treatments. Edward P. Riley received his Ph.D. in 1974 from Tulane University and is currently a Professor in Psychology and the Director of the Center for Behavioral Teratology at SDSU. He is the author of over 190 scientific papers and reviewed and edited the Handbook of Behavioral Teratology. In 2000 he was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Health to Chair the National Task Force on FAS. He currently serves as the Co-Chair of the SAMHSA-sponsored FAS Center for Excellence. He has served as the President of the Research Society on Alcohol, the Fetal Alcohol Study Group, and the Behavioral Teratology Society. Last year, he received the FASD UNITED Excellence Award and recently the RSA Distinguished Researcher Award. Dr. Sarah Mattson received her Ph.D. degree in 1994 from the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Associate Director of the Center for Behavioral Teratology at SDSU. She is the author or co-author on 38 publications and 7 book chapters. Recently, she has been studying aspects of attention and visual-spatial functioning in children with FASD, the comparison between FASD and ADHD, and brain structure and function using brain imaging.

Tracy Combs is a 23 year old who is a constant inspiration to individuals and families touched by alcohol-related birth defects. She was diagnosed at age two with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Her hobbies include watching movies, traveling with her Mom and talking on the phone. She works at Dave & Buster’s each morning helping the restaurant prepare for the day’s opening. For many years Tracy has participated in FAS research at the Center for Behavioral Teratology at San Diego State University led by renowned scientist Dr. Edward Riley. An MRI image of Tracy’s brain depicting the hallmark effects of prenatal alcohol exposure is used in FAS medical literature, textbooks and presentations worldwide. Tracy was a featured guest at the Los Angeles premiere of the award-winning FASD United public service announcement “Infinite Power,” produced by Women In Film, and loves to attend conferences and meet new people. Tracy and her birth mom Peggy reside in San Diego along with their dog and two cats.

As any parent will tell you, their children are at the heart of what gives life meaning. Twenty years ago, that meaning took an unexpected turn for Melissa Jacobus Cook. Melissa found herself in a world full of unexplained behaviors and limited answers while parenting her children. Something just didn’t seem right with her children whom she had adopted from Russia. Melissa went searching for answers and a diagnosis that could explain her children’s intellectual and behavioral challenges. Through a difficult and at times frustrating journey, she learned her children were affected by FASD. As the “hidden disability” became more visible, Melissa’s mothering instincts kicked in and she undertook a quest to meet her children’s needs. Since 1998, Melissa not only has been supporting her children, but she stands on the front line of FASD advocacy on behalf of all children, adults, and families seeking healing and hope. Among her countless official and unofficial roles she is a parent advocate for FASD United and serves on the Advisory Committee for FASD Communities, an FASD United affiliate organization. At the 2011 FASD United Affiliate Summit, Melissa met with the Georgia Congressional delegation, including staff members in the offices of Representative Tom Price and Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson. She passionately talked about FASD and her experiences, and made he case for expanded recognition and investment for FASD. In the ensuing years, Melissa continued her Capitol Hill advocacy including in 2016 when she and her son Sasha participated in a National FASD Youth Leaders Gathering and again met with elected officials to stress the reasons why FASD should be an eligible condition in the Individuals with Disabilities Act. Melissa has been active on the national level while also bringing FASD awareness to the state level. She has written seven proclamations acknowledging September 9th as FASD Awareness Day which were recognized by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal from 2013 to 2018 and Governor Brian Kemp in 2019. Melissa’s proactive approach in advocating for FASD was on full display in September of 2012 when she co-lead and presented at the State Bar of Georgia, through the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Suicide Prevention Program, and The Supreme Court of Georgia’s Committee on Justice for Children. Educating practitioners, educators and disability advocates has been critical to helping those living with FASD. In 2013, Melissa presented on FASD as a member of the Speakers Bureau for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s FASD Southeast Regional Training Center at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Georgia. In 2018, she participated in the Public Health Program (MPH) Family Mentoring Program at Emory University in conjunction with The Arc of Georgia and again in 2019 with the Georgia State University, School of Public Health Center for Leadership in Disability. In 2017, she co-presented with NOFAS on FASD Advocacy and was featured on a panel discussion at the Advocacy Center of Louisiana National Disability Rights Network at their event “Advocating for Individuals Living with FASD”. Educating the criminal justice system has been equally important. In 2018, Melissa presented at the NOFAS FASD Justice Task Force and the Mississippi Public Defenders Association and Disability Rights Mississippi (DRMS), where she spoke as a parent advocate about her experience with her daughter, who had been incarcerated for a crime brought about by the secondary conditions associated with FASD. Because Melissa was moved by the need to expand FASD awareness in Georgia and help others who could be facing the same hardships that her daughter experienced in the criminal justice system, she became involved in FASD Advocacy at the Greater Gwinnett Reentry Alliance (GGRA) in Georgia which helps to provide resources for citizens reentering into the community. On September 18, 2018, Melissa organized a legal training on FASD presented by Atlanta Legal Aid and sponsored by the Georgia Office of the Child Advocate, Southern Center for Human Rights, Georgia Advocacy Office, Georgia Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), NOFAS, Georgia Appleseed – Center for Law & Justice, and the Arc of Georgia. Melissa presents on FASD to elementary schools, universities, churches, adoption agencies, doctor offices and the Department of Family and Children Services. Melissa is always ready to advocate for FASD at a moments notice when the need presents itself, keeping FASD literature stored in her car. As a parent of children with FASD, Melissa believes there are no coincidences and that she must be prepared for the unexpected. Melissa finds that caregivers are often unable to get to support group meetings and need evidenced-based strategies and interventions to assist their children, even if they find it in a grocery store parking lot. Melissa continues to support and share her knowledge and experiences of parenting children with what she describes as the “environmental prescription” approach. A testament to this approach can be found in an article published by the CDC titled “Living with FASDs: Sasha’s Story”, which spotlights her son’s success. Prior to her FASD advocacy work, Melissa worked for Tribune Broadcasting Company and was awarded the highest honor for Customer Service. She left in 1997 to devote herself full-time to the needs of her children and to the FASD cause. “Our children are our heart and soul,” Melissa says, “Their lives need and deserve to have meaning. Our FASD advocacy is their lifeline” For her leadership, tireless FASD advocacy and fellowship for all, FASD United proudly inducts Melissa Jacobus Cook in the Tom and Linda Daschle FASD Hall of Fame.

Marceil Ten Eyck has made extraordinary and multifaceted contributions to the field of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD)—as a professional counselor and psychotherapist, an inspiring speaker and educator, a published author, an advisor on local and national FASD policy—and, importantly, as a warm and devoted mother and grandmother. Marceil received her training at the University of Oregon and Seattle University, earning a Master’s in Counseling in 1986. She became a psychotherapist and counselor, working with children and families, including those in domestic violence situations. Marceil moved on to become a family counselor at an inpatient chemical dependency facility for women, and was involved in clinical, research and supervision for 4 years. In 1990, Marceil entered private practice and began her FASD-related activities, recognizing that FASD had touched her own family. She has continued with nearly two decades of caring work in the field. Since 1990, Marceil has focused on issues of FASD as a psychotherapist and counselor, and as a parent support group facilitator. For 5 years, she was part of the pioneering University of Washington FAS Diagnostic Clinic multidisciplinary team. In 1991, she helped found the FAS Information Services of Washington State (FASIS), which publishes “Iceberg,” an educational newsletter on FASD, and remains on the FASIS board. During the 1990’s, Marceil began her still ongoing activities as a compelling educator and consultant on FASD. Throughout the U.S and Canada, she has spoken about her experiences as the mother of children with FASD, and her professional expertise in FASD prevention and intervention. In 2000, she wrote “A Mother’s Tale,” a chapter in Fantastic Antone Grows Up, an important book distilling the clinical wisdom in the field and laying the groundwork for intervention efforts to follow. At the University of Washington, she was a community advisory board member for CDC-funded research on secondary disabilities among individuals with FASD that spurred real momentum in the field. Later, she was an advisor and trainer for the Families Moving Forward Program, CDC-funded scientific FASD intervention research. Marceil also stepped into the policy arena in the mid-1990’s. Her FASD steering committee activities began at the county level in Washington State. In 2001, Marceil moved to the national level when appointed to the SAMHSA-funded FASD Center for Excellence steering committee. As part of the Center, Marceil chaired the subgroup for FASD prevention. She also helped found the “Circle of Hope,” a network of birth mothers of individuals with FASD. Marceil is the center of a large and loving family— and central to the far-flung community of those affected by FASD that she has helped over many years. In 2001, she was presented a leadership award for outstanding dedication to treatment for women with chemical dependency and their families. Her dedication and leadership continue. In 2008, Marceil Ten Eyck most certainly belongs in the Hall of Fame for those who have helped unveil and treat the “invisible disabilities” of FASD.

Dr. Louise Floyd is a Supervisory Behavioral Scientist and Team Leader of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Prevention Team, Prevention Research Branch, Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She began her career in public health at the Georgia Department of Human Resources where she worked prior to joining the Centers for Disease Control in 1988. At CDC she served as Project Officer of Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy (SCIP) Randomized Controlled Trial that was conducted by the Division of Reproductive Health, Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. In 1992 she joined the Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities as Chief of the FAS Prevention Unit where she currently resides. In 1995 she received the Annual Faye G. Abbdellah Publication Award that is given in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the health-care literature by a nurse in the Public Health Service. Dr. Floyd served as the CDC representative to the federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on FAS (ICCFAS) and oversaw the development of the National Task Force on FAS/FAE, serving as its first Executive Secretary. She served as the CDC Primary Investigator of Project CHOICES, an innovative program shown to reduce alcohol-exposed pregnancies in high risk women. In 2008, she received the Charles C. Shepard Science Award for Scientific Excellence and in 2010 received the Henry Rosett Award from the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group, Research Society on Alcoholism, for outstanding contributions to scientific research and efforts to increase awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. She has over 50 FASD-related publications. Dr. Floyd received her BS degree in nursing from Berea College, Berea, Kentucky and a Master’s in nursing from Emory University where she was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society in Nursing. She received a Doctorate of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Alabama. Her current activities include dissemination of the CHOICES intervention in multiple public health venues.

For his groundbreaking and dedicated work in support of individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), FASD United inducts Stephen Greenspan into the Tom and Linda Daschle FASD Hall of Fame. Dr. Greenspan has researched and written extensively on personal competence, social intelligence, adaptive functioning, parenting and discipline, and the problem of gullibility. He has explored many of these concepts in the context of developmental disabilities, specifically Autism and FASD. One of his most significant contributions is attempting to broaden the view of neurodevelopmental disorders to become more holistic, so that IQ is not the only point of reference for a diagnosis. With FASD in particular, he points out that affected individuals are mainly impaired by a lack of social and practical judgment, whereas outdated standards typically make their IQs—often above the cut-off—the sole determination of their eligibility for services. In his co-authored paper “FASD and the Concept of ‘Intellectual Disability Equivalence’”, he states: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a logical candidate for such an accommodation as (a) it (like ID) involves brain impairment, (b) people with FASD have adaptive deficits and support needs that are identical to those with ID, and (c) while many people with FASD do qualify as having ID, the majority do not, because full-scale IQ scores are typically too high. (241) His original and insightful ideas have led him to be the most frequently cited authority in the Intellectual Disability section of the DSM-5. Additionally, professionals in many fields trust his conclusions due to his credentials and professional history. In addition, Dr. Greenspan has defended individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities—prompting exemption from the death penalty in several cases—by delivering expert testimony. This includes testifying last year in the Supreme Court case Moore v. Texas, where he successfully demonstrated that the defendant had a disability and therefore should not be executed. Another important contribution Dr. Greenspan has made to the field of FASD is his paper “Why People with FASD Fall for Manipulative Ploys: Ethical Limits of Interrogators’ Use of Lies”, where he applies his research on gullibility and manipulation to situations where individuals with FASD get in legal trouble. In an educational YouTube video featuring Dr. Greenspan recorded by FASD UNITED, he states, “I think…the core deficit that causes people with FASD to get in all kinds of trouble includes not being able to predict the perspective of someone that is trying to manipulate them… that’s an illustration of not understanding how to present yourself in a light that is hopefully not going to result in prosecution.” Dr. Greenspan strives to educate and inform judges on FASD and its implications in legal situations. In the same educational video, he concludes by saying, “I think that the more that judges and lawyers know about FASD, and are able to link it up with particular criminal types of behaviors, the more likely it is that justice will be the outcome.” (Also watch Dr. Greenspan’s remarks at a FASD UNITED press conference.) Attorney Billy Edwards, Chair of the FASD UNITED Justice Task Force, who knows Dr. Greenspan and his work very well and has authored papers with him, is thrilled that FASD UNITED is honoring Dr. Greenspan, saying it is well-deserved. He adds, “Dr. Stephen Greenspan has done so much in the FASD community to help so many attorneys, like myself, better understand the importance between adaptive behavior skills and the IQ level of their client.” Dr. Greenspan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester in Developmental Psychology, and then received a postdoctoral certificate from UCLA’s Neuropsychiatric Institute in Developmental Disabilities. His academic career has led him to teach and conduct research at various highly-respected institutions, such as Vanderbilt University, the University of Nebraska, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Colorado. FASD United expresses its deepest gratitude to Dr. Greenspan and on behalf of its affiliates and partners, welcomes him to the Hall of Fame.

For his groundbreaking attention to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) from the bench, FASD United inducts Michael I. Jeffery into the Tom and Linda Daschle FASD Hall of Fame. Judge Jeffery served as a Superior Court Judge in the Second Judicial District in Barrow, Alaska until he retired in 2014 after a 32-year judicial career. He adapted his court activities for FASD-affected individuals, was a prominent figure in the passage of Alaska’s FASD mitigation legislation, and served on numerous statewide committees dealing with FASD and juvenile justice. The Stanford University and Yale Law School graduate’s caseload included a substantial number of persons affected by FASDs, including felony and misdemeanor criminal action, civil litigation, probate and child welfare, child custody and juvenile delinquency cases. He served on the Alaska statewide Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Steering Committee and presented at numerous FASD trainings. He served as the Alaska Court System representative to the Alaska FASD Partnership and on the advisory board of the federally funded Arctic Regional FASD Training Center at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He has presented on FASD and justice system issues to the Alaska Bar Association, the Alaska Court System and at regional FASD conferences throughout the U.S. Judge Jeffery was instrumental in the 2012 passage of the Alaska statute that explicitly allows its judges to reduce a felony sentence for an offender diagnosed with an FASD. As he wrote with Teri Tibbett, an advocacy coordinator on the Alaska Mental Health Board, “The statute promised more humane treatment for offenders [living with FASDs] and significant cost savings to the state.” They added that in order to realize this promise communities must move toward the, “Acceptance of Smart Justice,” best practices for providing effective services to lower the risk of criminal behavior by persons affected by an FASD condition, and for those individuals who do get involved in the criminal justice system. On behalf of its affiliates, partners and members, FASD United expresses its gratitude to Judge Jeffery for his leadership and compassion, and enshrines him in the FASD Hall of Fame.

For her dedicated service to FASD, specifically as a leading figure addressing legal issues, FASD United enshrines Kay Kelly in the Tom and Linda Daschle Hall of Fame. Ms. Kelly is the Project Director, and one of the founders, of the FASD Legal Issues Resource Center at the Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit, University of Washington, Seattle. Her work centers around assisting families whose children, adult children or other relatives have been involved in juvenile, adult, or family court. In an effort to access justice for those living with FASD, Ms. Kelly provides training for lawyers, judges, and other court professionals. In 2003 she developed an FASD Legal Issues Website, which now is maintained in conjunction with the ABA Center on Children and the Law. The Website contains a variety of law-related materials including summaries of judicial decisions in state and federal courts. Her work with the American Bar Association led to the ABA’s adoption in 2012 of a Resolution on FASD and the Law. Since attending a 1996 workshop on FASD presented by Dr. Ann Streissguth, Ms. Kelly has worked to bring about awareness of this disability in the criminal justice system, nationally and internationally. She has given presentations on FASD and the law and FASD and addiction in a dozen countries and throughout the United States. After many years organizing panels for the conferences on FASD sponsored by the University of British Columbia, in 2013 she with two other colleagues organized an FASD and the Law Day. Those attending included judges, lawyers and others working on FASD and criminal justice issues, more than 80 individuals from eight countries, for a day long conversation on research, programming strategies, and training about FASD and legal issues. A second such conference is planned for 2015. At the request of the federal Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee on FASD, Ms. Kelly and Howard Davidson from the ABA helped to organize and prepare the action plan of the Listening Session on FASD organized by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Ms. Kelly has written chapters for a number of on-line and hard copy books and journals. She edited a 2014 issue about FASD and the law for The Judges Page, an on-line journal whose 9,000 subscribers include judges, other court professionals and advocates. Ms. Kelly began her career as a state and federal probation officer in Los Angeles. She subsequently worked as a mitigation specialist and investigator for defense teams of the Federal Public Defenders’ office in Los Angeles representing individuals on death row. At Dr. Streissguth’s suggestion, she relocated to the University of Washington to collaborate on legal issues and FASD with the Fetal and Alcohol Drug Unit. Dr. Streissguth had long been concerned about access to justice for those living with FASD. Ms. Kelly’s prior experience informs her efforts to work with families and court professionals in juvenile court, family court and adult criminal court, in order to assist all in understanding the disability and the most efficacious strategies to prevent recidivism and promote well-being of those living with FASD.

Diane Malbin, M.S.W., is a clinical social worker and consultant who provides support services, program development, and technical assistance to individuals, families and agencies. She is the founder of FASCETS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Consultation, Education and Training Services, Inc.), a non-profit, whose mission is to disseminate information, provide training, program adaptation and implementations for people with FASD, parents, and professionals. Diane became a FASD United affiliate in January 2005 and has worked closely with FASD United on several projects such as the Women’s Summit in North Carolina. FASD United salutes Diane for all the great work she does and honors her through this Hall of Fame. Diane’s published work has been presented nationally and internationally. She teaches and consults with parents, educators, juvenile justice, health and social services providers, treatment professionals and others across the US and Canada. Through FASCETS, she is director of a three year fetal alcohol pilot project with the State of Oregon Services for Children and Families. Diane brings a lot of expertise and personal experience to this field from raising two children with FASD. Diane is also a representative from Oregon for SAMHSA’s FASD Center for Excellence “Building FASD State Systems”. She has taught courses at the Universities of Oregon, British Columbia, Wisconsin-Madison, and other institutions. The Oregon chapter of the National Association of Social Workers named Diane the Social Worker of 2005. FASD United is pleased to honor Diane Malbin through this Hall of Fame. For information on FASCETS, please visit: www.fascets.org

Dr. Heather Carmichael Olson has been working in clinical, research and teaching activities in the field of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders for over 20 years. She is a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine, and an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences in the UW College of Arts and Sciences. She is also a research affiliate of the UW Alcohol and Drug Institute and the UW Center for Human Development and Disability. In her clinical work, Dr. Carmichael Olson has been a staff psychologist for the past 17 years in the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic and Prevention Network (FAS DPN) at the University of Washington. She is also an attending psychologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, and in that capacity directs the Early Childhood Clinic serving families raising children aged birth to 5 years with developmental or behavior problems. In these clinical settings, she works closely and collaboratively with children and families. Dr. Carmichael Olson’s research interests include fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), and the impact of parental substance abuse on child and family development. She is especially interested in developing and testing interventions for children with FASD, and the families who care for them. She has written a number of scientific publications, including journal articles on FASD intervention findings and a recent review of FASD and the family, and many other papers and chapters. She also authored a recent, nationally distributed “Call to Action” monograph on FASD, hoping to help maintain the momentum on public awareness and action about FASD created by dedicated families and professionals. Among Dr. Carmichael Olson’s teaching responsibilities are clinical training for child psychiatry residents and psychology interns. She also does a wide variety of presentations to professionals and the public, typically on topics of FASD and intervention for children born substanceexposed and their families. If there is one word to describe Dr. Carmichael Olson’s attitude toward FASD, it would be “hope.” Working with children with FASD, and their families, is something she considers an honor. She has recently written that “clinical literature and informal reports are replete with descriptions of how engaging, innocent, straightforward, amusing, curious, social and alert children [with FASD] can be, and the sometimes intriguing perspective they bring to understanding life.” She has also written that “many stories of families raising children with an FASD are tales of courage, persistence, flexibility and the ability to stay optimistic in the face of challenge.”

For most of his career Jerome Romero has focused on helping individuals with disabilities. For the last fourteen years, he has done so as the New Mexico Statewide Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Prevention Program Director. As Director, Romero has developed many FASD prevention activities and produced a number of public campaign slogans, accompanying public messages, and educational materials to educate women of child-bearing age on the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant. Romero travels around New Mexico working with a wide variety of stakeholders, high school students, prenatal clinics, foster care organizations, and community health workers. Seven years ago, Romero began working with the FASD Center for Excellence, where he generously, and successfully, shared his project ideas and materials with other FASD organizations throughout the United States. While Romero says all of his work is rewarding, he says his most beneficial project has been his FASD peer-education project in which he works with high school girls who have been pregnant or are pregnant and are trying to finish high school. Through this mission he works to convey the FASD prevention message and teaches the girls to warn their peers on the effects of drinking alcohol while pregnant. “Through that process, not only do the peer trainers become educated on the importance of not drinking during pregnancy, but their message is then heard by many more high school students than I could ever reach personally” says Romero. “The message that is conveyed peer to peer carries a very special power.” Romero is currently the Chairman of the National Association of State FASD Coordinators, a group under the FASD Center for Excellence. He also sits on the Center’s Expert Panel on FASD. Romero says it’s his positive attitude, respect for all people, and willingness to help others that pushes him forward every day.

Karli Schrider was named Point of Light number 1332 in 1999 by former President George H. W. Bush who personally presented her with the Daily Point of Light Award for her contribution to the prevention of FASD. Former Senator Tom Daschle was so moved after he met Karli that he shared her story on the Senate floor when he introduced FAS legislation. Karli enjoys art and created the artwork for the FASD United logo. She received a Leadership Award in 1998 for her efforts. She has appeared on the Leeza Show, NBC’s Real Life, NBC’s Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and was featured in PA Today – a newsmagazine for physicians assistants. Karli has been a featured presenter at several National FASD conferences and has appeared in many FASD educational videos including Recovering Hope, Better Safe than Sorry, A Child for Life and the Law and Order: Special Victims Unit excerpt in the FASD UNITED 9-12 FASD Education and Prevention Curriculum. Currently, Karli works at Renaissance Chef Catering Company in Frederick, Maryland. She continues to be an active member in the Weekenders Club and has volunteered for FASD United for over two decades. Although Karli lives with the challenges of FAS, and faces difficult daily tests, she continues to motivate and inspire all of those who meet her.

Walt and Kathy Teichen live in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. They adopted their son, Kevin, when he was 3 days old. He was in Special Education from first grade through high school. After the structure of school was over he started getting into trouble. He had been evaluated all along as having ADHD. Kathy felt they should get Kevin re-evaluated, so they did this in June of 2001. That is when the Teichens found out that he was born with a form of FASD. Kevin was arrested June of 2001 for retail theft, and then spent 5 months in jail as they tried finding services for him. There were no services offered by the state of Illinois so Walt and Kathy sent him to Teen Challenge in Iowa where he lasted for 2 months, then into another Christian program outside of Chicago, where he lasted for 3 months. Kevin came home in August 2002, and lived with his parents until December 2002, when he was arrested for felony burglary. He spent another 5 months in jail before he was sent to His Mansion in New Hampshire, where he lasted for 5 weeks. In August 2003, Kevin came home and lived there until he was arrested June 2004 for felony credit card theft. He stayed in jail for 3 months until he was released to a residential program in a southwestern suburban community in September 2004. Since there are no services for individuals with FASD in the Chicago area, the Teichens have started a Christian Ministry that will be providing a structured 24 hour environment for men. This program will provide the structure, services and training, so these individuals in the hope that they can obtain some social, vocational, and living skills. Please visit Know Him Ministry at www.knowhimministry.org to find more information.

Kenneth Warren, Ph.D., served as the Acting Director, Associate Director for Basic Research, and other leadership positions in a more than four decade career at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), one of the 27 research institutes encompassing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the Federal Government’s Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Warren joined the staff of NIAAA in 1976. He has held a number of Institute positions advancing successively from his initial service as a Scientific Review Administrator, to Chief of the Biomedical Research Branch, Deputy Director of the Division of Extramural Research, to Director of the Office of Scientific Affairs (OSA). During the 22 years for which Dr. Warren served as the Director of OSA he was concurrently the Executive Secretary for the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. One achievement of note in Dr. Warren’s career at NIAAA was the development, followed by subsequent guidance of the research program on alcohol and pregnancy. Shortly after joining the NIAAA, Dr. Warren organized the first national research workshop on fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), held in February 1977. The research workshop critically reviewed the then relatively modest amount of research that had been undertaken since the initial 1973 clinical report on the existence of FAS. At this point in time there was still little medical or public acceptance of alcohol as a prenatal risk factor. The conference served not only to set a research agenda for the future years, but it also recommended that NIAAA take the lead in alerting the medical community about FAS and the risks posed by prenatal alcohol. Dr. Warren took responsibility for securing the approval of the then Department of Health Education and Welfare for the issuance of a health advisory. This initial advisory was issued on June 1 1977. Subsequently, Dr. Warren played a lead role in the development of a congressionally requested report on the health hazards of alcohol use. Dr. Warren prepared several chapters for the report including one on Birth Defects and Anomalies within the Report to the President and the Congress on Health Hazards associated with Alcohol and Methods to Inform the General Public of these Hazards, U.S. Department of Treasury and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services November 1980. One of the actions that followed acceptance of the Report was the issuance of the Surgeon General’s Advisory on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in May 1981, for which Dr. Warren was the lead contributor. Twenty four years later, Dr. Warren again played a significant role in the development and issuance of an updated Surgeon General’s Advisory, issued in February 2005. Although Dr. Warren assumed a diverse array of responsibilities in NIAAA, he continued to maintain an active involvement in alcohol and pregnancy program. He served as the project officer for the 1995 Institute of Medicine Report (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; Diagnosis, Epidemiology, and Treatment; Institute of Medicine, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. 1996). He has been involved in international initiatives on FAS research in South Africa and other countries, has given many presentations on this topic, and currently Chairs the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and serves as an ex officio member of the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects.