Details and Information:
Despite thousands of published articles on FASD, limited research focuses specifically on adolescents and adults with FASD. As individuals diagnosed with FASD age, the “need to know” across a broad spectrum of areas continues to be critically important for identifying clinically relevant research questions and directions that will impact their day-to-day function and health outcomes.
Building on the work of eight previous conferences*, we aim to examine relevant global research, programs and policies. What can we learn from practice-based evidence? What does existing or emerging research tell us? Are the results transferable from country to country and/or from laboratory and clinical studies to real life? Are there clinical implications of results from any of these areas of which we should be aware? What are the changes in our thinking, practice and directions that will be required to improve outcomes? What are the implications for the future?
We hope you can join us at this interactive conference and be at the forefront of addressing these relevant global issues.
*This conference, previously held in Vancouver, Canada and hosted by University of British Columbia’s Interprofessional Continuing Education, has been moved to Seattle, the birthplace of the FASD diagnosis in North America. FASD United has taken on the task of putting on this unique global FASD conference in consultation with the International Adult Leadership Collaborative (ALC) FASD Changemakers, a group of talented and dedicated individuals with FASD who are leaders in the community.
April 11 – 14, 2024
This conference has been moved to Seattle, Washington – the closest place to Vancouver and the birthplace of the FASD diagnosis in North America.
The Hyatt Regency Seattle | 808 Howell St, Seattle, WA
Please reserve your room at a special rate of $229.00 + taxes until March 20, 2024 for single/double occupancy. Please book online here and specify that you are booking under “FASD 2024 Conference”. Or please call toll-free: 1.800.233.1234 (North America) or 1.402.592.6464 (International) to reserve.
Please disregard the “destination fee” as we were able to negotiate this to be removed from our delegate rooms. Once you select the room type, you will see that it’s excluded from the price summary.
The Hyatt Regency Seattle is conveniently located close to many public transportation options, including the Link Light Rail (2 blocks away). Please visit here for more information.
Unfortunately, at this point, a hybrid conference is not possible, so attendance in person is recommended. Various recordings from the event will be published for those who are not able to attend.
- Connect the identified needs of community workers, healthcare providers, professionals in the FASD field, families, and individuals with FASD with the research community
- Gain insight into emerging research findings and how they might better assist ethical policy and decision-making and the development of integrated and collaborative approaches across systems
- Examine practice-based evidence, projects, and programs to understand the potential connections to research and potential longitudinal studies
- Engage in knowledge exchange and dialogue through multidisciplinary sessions
- Listen to individuals with FASD and their families share their direct experience
This multidisciplinary conference will be of interest to the audiences listed below, as well as anyone working towards an advanced understanding in the field of FASD.
- Addiction Specialists
- Administrators/Managers
- Child Welfare Professionals
- Clinicians
- Community Members
- Educators
- FASD Specialists
- Family Members/Caregivers
- Health/Mental Health
- Individuals with FASD
- Justice/Legal
- Physicians/Nurse Practitioners
- Policy Makers
- Program/Support Services
- Researchers
- Scientists
- Students/Trainees
Information:
FAQs
Are the ALC FASD Changemakers involved?
Yes!
“Most of us, because of how our diagnosis has been and so often continues to be misunderstood, have long been left out of ANY decision making about ourselves” states Kat Griffin, one of the three original FASD Changemakers. “This conference had been the ONE place where our voices were not only heard, but actually LISTENED too; where new relationships were built, and new partnerships were forged that remain thoughtful, meaningful, respectful, inclusive and valued. Where nothing about us was done without us. Now, thanks to FASD United, there is a new home organization whose philosophy aligns with ours.”
What happened to the conference? How did it come back?
Covid, the elimination of the department at the University of British Columbia that housed the conference and the subsequent loss of the basic funding necessary to run the conference all hit during what we like to refer to as the “dark ages”. However, during this time, hope remained, and through the dedication of the ALC FASD Changemakers and longtime volunteers on the planning committees, the spark of the conference remained. In collaboration with FASD United, a partnership was formed and FASD United was able to solicit and obtain the basic funding needed to bring the spark back to a flame.
How will this conference be different from the original Vancouver Conferences?
It won’t. No really. It won’t.
One of the cornerstones of the partnership with FASD United is the commitment to maintaining the integrity and “magic” of the Vancouver conference. Although the location has changed, we are committed to continuing this unique flagship conference as it has always been run.
Ok, we will have Starbucks, and not Tim Hortons, but that’s really the only major adjustment.
I’ve never heard of the Vancouver Conference; what is it, and why is everyone making such a big deal about it?
Quoting CJ Lutke, one of the original three FASD Changemakers who has been involved in the conferences for over 18 years, “There is power in relationships; there is power in partnering across disciplines and with the living experience of FASD. There is power in working together to affect a changed future. “
Since the 80’s an annual international research conference has grown to attract thousands of participants from more than 30 countries. What’s unique about this conference is that it merges the needs of people with FASD with the research agenda and creates an environment where the needs of people with FASD come first. Unlike most research conferences, this is an opportunity for parents, caregivers as well as Teens and Adults with FASD to interact directly with the researchers, practitioners and policymakers in a space designed to amplify their voices.
Will you be accepting abstracts?
As we are hoping to re-create the 2020 conference (cancelled due to the pandemic) topics and presenters with updated abstracts for the 2024 conference, it is undetermined whether the 2024 conference will need a call for abstracts. However, please sign up to our mailing list to receive pertinent updates including a possible call for abstracts.
Will the conference continue yearly as before?
The Vancouver conference runs on a two-year cycle. Year one is the International Research Conference on Adolescents and Adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Review, Respond and Relate, year two is the International Research Conference on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Research, Results and Relevance. With continued funding, every intention is to maintain this cycle.
For all registration inquiries, please email FASD United: registration@fasdunited.org.
For all other conference-related inquiries, please contact Jo Votolato, Conference Director, votolato@fasdunited.org.