FASD Is an AND Conversation: Joining the Movement During FASD Awareness Month

by Illuminate Colorado | Sep 1, 2026 | FASD

Every September, the FASD community comes together with renewed energy to raise awareness, advocate for change, and support people living with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and their families.

This year, FASD United is inviting all of us to think differently about how we talk about FASD.

The theme for FASD Awareness Month 2026 is “FASD is an AND Conversation.”

It’s a simple idea with important implications: When we talk about FASD, we should talk about “FASD &” rather than “FASD or.”

FASD is an “AND” Conversation

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are a group of diagnosable medical conditions that can occur following prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD is a lifelong condition, and its effects can include learning disabilities, mental health conditions, sensory issues, and physical health concerns, including heart defects and hearing or visual impairments.

As many as 1 in 20 Americans live with FASD.

But FASD does not exist in a vacuum.

A person can experience FASD and mental health challenges. FASD and neurodiversity. FASD and disability. FASD and challenges accessing healthcare. FASD and systems that were not designed to recognize or respond to their needs.

That’s why FASD United is encouraging us to move away from either/or questions and toward “AND” conversations.

Instead of asking, “Is it FASD or mental health?” we can ask, “How do FASD and mental health intersect?”

Instead of treating FASD and disability as separate conversations, we can recognize that FASD and disability are connected.

And instead of viewing FASD through a single lens, we can recognize the complexity and individuality of the people and families impacted by it.

FASD is a wide spectrum, and every person’s experience is unique. Having more complete, nuanced conversations can help us better understand those experiences and help create more supportive communities and systems.

Illuminate Colorado Is Part of the Movement

As the Colorado affiliate of FASD United, Illuminate Colorado is proud to help bring this conversation to communities across our state.

Our work focuses on strengthening families, organizations, and communities to prevent child maltreatment. And we work hard to create the conditions where every child and family can thrive. That includes recognizing the many factors that shape family well-being and working alongside partners to build more responsive and supportive systems.

FASD is an important part of that work.

Creating greater understanding of FASD can help families find support, help professionals respond more effectively, and help communities move beyond stigma and toward greater understanding.

The “AND” conversation is an invitation to see those connections more clearly.

FASD & healthcare. FASD & education. FASD & disability. FASD & mental health. FASD & policy. FASD & family support.

These conversations are connected and each one gives us another opportunity to better support people living with FASD and their families.

Find FASD Resources in Colorado

Awareness is an important first step, but knowing where to turn for information and support matters, too.

Illuminate Colorado has gathered FASD resources for Colorado families, caregivers, professionals, and communities in one place. Our FASD resource page is designed to make it easier to find trusted information, learn more about FASD, and connect with support.

These resources are part of Illuminate’s commitment to increasing understanding of FASD through education, shared learning, and access to trusted resources—while approaching this work with compassion and without stigma.

Explore Our FASD Resources

Share the Message

FASD Awareness Month is an opportunity not only to learn, but to take action.

FASD United has created a collection of resources to help individuals, families, professionals, organizations, and communities join the movement.

Start with language

The words we use matter.

FASD United’s Language and Stigma Guide offers guidance for using accurate, respectful, and strengths-based language when talking about FASD. The guide centers the dignity of individuals with FASD, their families, and birth parents while encouraging conversations grounded in evidence rather than blame.

Hear from and support self-advocates

The FASD Self-Advocate Guide is designed to help people with prenatal alcohol exposure better understand themselves and their experiences with FASD.

Its message is simple: work with yourself, not against yourself.

The interactive guide is an empowering resource for recognizing strengths, understanding experiences, and building greater self-awareness.

Share the message

FASD United’s 2026 FASD Awareness Month Toolkit includes resources that individuals and organizations can use throughout September, including:

- Information about this year’s “FASD is an AND Conversation” theme
- Ready-to-use social media content and downloads
- Inclusive language resources
- A sample press release
- Zoom backgrounds
- Awareness Month proclamation resources
- Fact sheets
- And more!

Whether you’re sharing a post, educating your colleagues, talking with your community, or simply learning more yourself, these resources make it easier to be part of the conversation.

We invite you to join us in making FASD an AND conversation. Because understanding FASD means understanding the many people, experiences, systems, and communities connected to it.

This September, let’s keep the conversation going.

FASD Is an AND Conversation: Joining the Movement During FASD Awareness Month

Celebrating the Passage of the FASD Respect Act

by Lex Loutzenhiser | Sep 25, 2025 | Advocacy, FASD

Group of multigenerational people hugging each others - Support, multiracial and diversity concept - Main focus on senior man with white hairs

Across Colorado and the nation, advocates are celebrating the passage of the FASD Respect Act, a crucial step toward building a foundation for individuals and families impacted by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) to thrive. As the Colorado affiliate of FASD United, we at Illuminate Colorado are reflecting on the long journey to the FASD Respect Act’s passage and our collaborative efforts to ensure the success of this impactful legislation.

The FASD Respect Act’s Journey to Passage

2021-2022

In June 2021, Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Betty McCollum introduced bipartisan, companion legislation in the Senate and House, titled the FASD Respect Act, to expand and establish federal programs that advance FASD research, services, and prevention. Throughout the 117th Congress, FASD advocates across the nation, with the leadership of FASD United, educated members of Congress on the impacts and prevalence of FASDs and the potential impact of this pending legislation.

In 2021 and 2022, Illuminate traveled to Washington D.C. to attend FASD Hill Day, meet with Congressional offices representing Colorado, highlight the prevalence and impact of FASDs in Colorado, and advocate for the FASD Respect Act.

Illuminate staff members Jillian Fabricius and Kelli Sutton visiting with Congressman Joe Neguse’s office (2022)

Illuminate staff member playing with two toddlers

Illuminate staff Lex Loutzenhiser, Jade Woodard, and Shira Shump, with SuPPoRT Colorado FASD Advisory FASD Advisory Group Co-Chairs and Parent Advocates, Domenica Steele and Marilyn Fausset at FASD Hill Day (2023)

2023-2024

After the FASD Respect Act failed by just one vote in the 117th Congress, it was reintroduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Bacon as companion bills in the Senate and House. As the bill moved through the legislative process in the 118th Congress, Illuminate Colorado, constituents, FASD family and lived experience advocates, and FASD United met with Congressional offices to gain the support of Congress members representing Coloradans with FASDs.

This collaborative effort resulted in half (4) of Colorado’s Congressional Delegates serving in the House of Representatives signing on as cosponsors of the H.R.3946 FASD Respect Act. We at Illuminate are grateful to Reps. Caraveo, Crow, Neguse, Pettersen for listening to the needs of their constituents impacted by FASDs and cosponsoring this impactful legislation.

Near the end of 2024 and the 118th Congress, revised bipartisan language of the FASD Respect Act was incorporated into the Senate SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2023, which was more expansive legislation that would address many community challenges associated with substance use. Despite widespread bipartisan support and success in committees, this legislation, alongside many other bills, was deprioritized during federal budget negotiations.

2025

In 2025, the FASD Respect Act was not only reintroduced in the Senate by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, but was also included in the Senate and House versions of the SUPPORT Reauthorization Act. The H.R.2483 SUPPORT Reauthorization Act passed out of the House in June with bipartisan support from six of Colorado’s eight Congress members in the House.

Last week, Illuminate joined FASD advocates from across the nation in Washington D.C. for FASD Hill Day to advocate for the passage of the FASD Respect Act and highlight the need for continued policy action to prevent FASDs and support individuals and families impacted.

On September 19th, FASD advocates across the nation and in Colorado celebrated the passage of the FASD Respect Act within the H.R.2484 SUPPORT Reauthorization Act, passed with unanimous consent by the Senate. With the success of this legislation in the Senate, the SUPPORT Reauthorization Act and included FASD Respect Act are on their way to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

Illuminate’s Policy Manager Lex Loutzenhiser and Parent Advocate Annette Kunzman meeting with Congressman Jason Crow’s office (2025)

Celebrating the FASD Respect Act

We at Illuminate and Colorado’s FASD advocates are celebrating the passage of the FASD Respect Act, recognizing this as a milestone in our movement toward widespread understanding and awareness of FASDs and prevention opportunities, broad research of FASDs, and comprehensive diagnostic, care, and support services for individuals and families impacted by FASDs. Once signed by the President, the FASD Respect Act will:

Require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to award grants for the purpose of FASD research, prevention, and care.
Authorize a maintained $12.5M for the above purposes.

We at Illuminate are grateful to our affiliates at FASD United and the many FASD family and lived experience advocates in Colorado and across the nation who worked towards accomplishing this milestone. Moving forward, we at Illuminate will continue to educate decision makers about the nature, prevalence, and impact of FASDs in Colorado, elevate the voices of families and lived experience experts, and advocate for continued momentum toward a Colorado and nation where individuals and families impacted by FASDs can thrive.

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Did you know?

September is FASD Awareness Month! Join us this September in raising awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Equip yourself with the knowledge and resources needed to make a difference. Download the toolkit today and help spread the word!