On July 19, NOFAS co-sponsored a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill in conjunction with the Congressional Caucus on FASD. Addressing an audience of over 50 congressional staffers, a distinguished panel of experts and family advocates shared their FASD expertise, experiences living with the disorder and priorities for prevention, education and services. Dr. Luther Robinson, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the State University of New York School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences who has been diagnosing individuals with FASD for over 15 years, shared the medical and physiological aspects of the issue. In a powerful presentation, Jennifer Goudy, a parent of two adolescents with FASD, expressed frustration with her local school system’s inability to deal with her children’s needs. Describing some of the challenges her children face, Jennifer remarked, “We need teachers who are trained to understand the issue—not just special education teachers—but all those who would interact with these children.”
The briefing was held in the Rayburn House Office Building and was attended by several senior health and justice policy advisors and other congressional staffers. Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN), co-chair of the caucus emphasized in his heartfelt remarks, “FASD is 100% preventable. The future of our children is in our hands.” Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), lead sponsor of the FASD Bill HR 4212 and caucus co-chair remarked, “Given the present political climate it is important not to lose sight of those issues that matter to all of us—the well-being of all of our children”.
Kathy Mitchell, NOFAS Vice President, and Kay Kelly, Legal Issues Director at the University of Washington, also served as panelists. Kay shared her experience dealing with individuals in the criminal justice system and the lack of support that exists for them, and Kathy Mitchell, mother of a 33 year old daughter with FAS, talked about her personal battle with substance abuse and lifelong dedication to the issue.
|