PROGRAMS

FASD-informed support — across the lifespan.

At ConnectFASD, we work to create a safe, supportive community that is FASD-informed. Our goal is to ensure individuals, families, caregivers, community members, and professionals have access to the knowledge and resources they need.

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connectFASD is a one-stop hub for FASD-informed support — helping individuals, caregivers, professionals, and communities navigate services with clarity and confidence.

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  • Individualized support tailored to unique strengths and needs
  • Navigation across assessment, diagnosis, education, and lifestyle supports
  • Lifespan programming and connection to community services
  • Guidance for caregivers of children, youth, and adults
  • Professional consultation and capacity-building
  • Reliable information to reduce stigma and increase understanding
    Information and resources

support groups


You don’t have to do this alone. Our FASD-informed support groups offer connection, shared learning, and practical strategies for individuals and caregivers.

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ABOUT FASD

Understanding FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) with compassion and clarity.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a diagnostic term used to describe impacts on the brain and body of individuals prenatally exposed to alcohol. FASD is a lifelong disability. Individuals with FASD will experience some degree of challenges in their daily living, and need support with motor skills, physical health, learning, memory, attention, communication, emotional regulation, and social skills to reach their full potential. Each individual with FASD is unique and has areas of both strengths and challenges.

  • Anyone who is exposed to alcohol in utero can be affected by FASD.
  • FASD affects all socioeconomic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
  • In Canada, FASD affects approximately 4% of the population, representing approximately 1.5 million Canadians.
  • FASD is a spectrum disorder, so it affects people in different ways. This means that each person with FASD will have their own unique strengths and challenges.
  • Individuals with FASD are known for having a number of different strengths, including being friendly, likeable, affectionate, determined, hard-working, forgiving, non-judgemental and caring. They also may experience challenges with learning, memory, attention, language, social skills, motor skills, reasoning and judgement, behaviour, and/or academic achievement and they will need specialized supports to help them succeed in these areas.
  • In everyday life, these challenges may look like:
    • being impulsive
    • not understanding consequences
    • being unfocused and easily distracted
    • difficulties keeping up with classroom learning
    • challenges handling money
    • challenges learning how to tell time
    • forgetting how to do something they’ve done before
    • having trouble staying organized and planning ahead

    Each individual will experience different challenges, and their challenges may differ depending on where they are in their life. The signs and symptoms of FASD can overlap with a number of different developmental disorders, which can make diagnosing FASD very difficult.

DIAGNOSIS OF FASD

A medical diagnosis of FASD can be an important first step, opening doors to effective programs, supports and strategies to help individuals affected by prenatal alcohol exposure thrive.


If you would like more information on FASD, assessment and diagnosis, next steps or support for those affected by FASD, CFAN can help.

STATISICS

Current research estimates the prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in the general Canadian population to be approximately 4%, which equals more than 1.48 million Canadians.
FASD impacts more people in Canada than Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, and Down syndrome combined.
In Alberta, 40% of residents report knowing someone with FASD, with many acting as caregivers.
Limitations in prevalence research make it difficult to know the true rate of FASD in Canada. For example, there may be discrepancies in reporting diagnoses, prenatal alcohol exposure may be under-reported due to stigma and fear of judgment, and individual difficulties may not emerge until school years or later. Additional limitations include small study samples, unique settings, use of different methodologies, voluntary participation, and estimating the numbers using pre-existing data. Most prevalence studies have been done with children. Estimates vary widely depending on the study approach, population, and location.