How many cases of FASD are there?

Each year in the United States, tens of thousands of babies are born with FASD, making these disorders more common than new diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013), and a leading preventable cause of intellectual disabilities (Abel & Sokol, 1987). Fetal alcohol exposure challenges us to think differently to succeed.

How many adults live with FASD?

Your guess is as good as ours...

If 40,000 babies are born with an FASD

In 10 years, 400,000 children will struggle in school.
In 20 years, 800,000 young adults will have trouble with transition.
In 30 years, 1,200,000 citizens will deal with job retention.
In 40 years, 1,600,000 citizens will still struggle.

And their challenges continue because FASD lasts for a lifetime.

We've chosen to enter the umwelt of persons with hidden differences by valuing the world in which they live, taking the time to understand and appreciate their differences and join together to create purposeful life skills and sustained successes in natural settings.

We've chosen three historic trail guides:

Helen Keller (who overcame the challenges of blindness, deafness and muteness), she benefited from Mark Twain's support, as she pursued her college education and publishing, despite her disabilities and financial limitations. We use the lens of possibility in our strengths.

It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel towards our distant goal.
- Helen Keller, blind, deaf, advocate, college graduate, speaker, author of twelve books
Thomas Edison (whose school teacher made no secret that he believed this hyperactive youngster's brains were "addled" or scrambled hence his mother pulled him for home teaching). Edison actually had to invent a total of seven system elements that were critical to the practical application of electric lights as an alternative to the gas lights being used. Like Edison, we've chosen to "Think Out of the Box" and try something different to help our adults with hidden differences succeed.

Thomas Edison was interviewed by a young reporter who asked him if he felt like a failure and if he thought he should just give up. Perplexed, Edison replied, "Young man, why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitively over 9,000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp." And shortly after that, and over 10,000 attempts, Edison invented the marketable light bulb by solving seven system element designs for practical application. How did he solve the problem? ONE STEP 10,000 TIMES!

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (who opened the wounds of civil rights, animal rights and exposed what we did not see) Regardless if we agree or disagree with his insight he was willing to stir a kettle that needed mixing. We use Mark Twain's Who? What? Where? When? How Come?

I am filled with the wonder of her (Helen Keller) knowledge, acquired because shut out from all distractions. If I could have been deaf, dumb, and blind I also might have arrived at something.
- Mark Twain's Speeches
Trivia: Mark Twain, Helen Keller and Thomas Edison all owned and loved pit bulls.

What does FASD cost?

Amendah and colleagues (2011) found that, for a child with identified FAS, incurred health costs were nine times higher than for a child without an FASD.

Lupton and colleagues (2004) estimated the lifetime cost of caring for a person with FAS to be at least $2 million. Other studies have put this at $3-5 million per individual based on medical, mental health, judicial and lost wages in family to provide care.

We are a non-profit social initiative to ‘able’ persons to live full lives. We to initiate change for a sustainable and purposeful life through compassion and understanding to empower the individual with hidden differences.