First FASD Awareness Month Since Federal Law’s Passage Spotlights Condition More Common Than Autism

This September marks the first FASD Awareness Month since the FASD Respect Act became Federal law, drawing renewed attention to the 1 in 20 Americans with FASD.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — This September marks the first FASD Awareness Month since the U.S. Congress passed the FASD Respect Act, landmark legislation directing a coordinated federal response to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and prenatal alcohol exposure. Advocates and families who pushed for the law for years are using this year’s Awareness Month to show what federal recognition can mean in practice for millions of children and adults.

FASD is a lifelong condition caused by alcohol exposure before birth, and it affects people differently across a wide spectrum of physical, behavioral, and learning effects. According to a 2018 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, as many as 1 in 20 U.S. school children may be on the FASD spectrum, a rate more than double that of autism. That is roughly a child in every classroom.

Despite that prevalence, FASD remains under-recognized. Diagnostic and treatment services are scarce, and only about 10 percent of people with FASD have facial features often associated with the condition, so most cases go unrecognized without specific screening. Awareness Month aims to close that gap.

Individuals with FASD often benefit most from early diagnosis, early intervention, and care that is informed by an understanding of the condition throughout their life. This Awareness Month, FASD United is focused on reducing stigma, expanding access to diagnosis and services, and recognizing the strengths that people with FASD bring to their communities.

**What’s happening**

FASD United will host National FASD Impact Week September 27 to 30, 2026, in Washington, DC, bringing together individuals with FASD, family members, clinicians, researchers, and policymakers from across the country. The gathering is free and open to anyone working to improve outcomes for people with FASD. Credentialed media are welcome to attend sessions, or request interviews with speakers, self-advocates, and family members in advance.

FASD United is calling on human service organizations, health care providers, and educators to use this Awareness Month to get informed and to help bring FASD-informed services and supports to the people who need them.

For more information on FASD or alcohol use during pregnancy, visit www.fasdunited.org or www.cdc.gov/fasd.

Andy Kachor
FASD United
+1 202-601-2528
kachor@fasdunited.org
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Bluesky
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
X
Other

Media gallery