FASD Understanding is a national video and education initiative created to increase awareness, reduce stigma, and build stronger communities of support for individuals and families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

This project brings together leading Canadian puppeteers, researchers, community partners, and families to create accessible, compassionate, and evidence-informed resources for educators, caregivers, service providers, and frontline professionals.

While it is not a mental health disorder, research shows that approximately 90% of individuals with FASD experience mental health challenges at some point in their lives. Understanding this connection is essential to improving outcomes and ensuring individuals receive the right supports at the right time.

Produced by M.I.understanding, this initiative builds on more than a decade of developing free, research-informed tools that help families and communities have meaningful conversations about complex topics. M.I.understanding resources, including mental health, FASD, and 2SLGBTQ+ education tools, are used nationally and internationally to promote early intervention, reduce stigma, and strengthen support systems.

Building on this foundation, we are working toward expanding our supports to include anyone who experiences challenges with executive functioning, offering individualized strategies that honour each person’s strengths and lived experience. Guided by our belief in “Nurturing Infinite Potential,” My Potentia exists to champion the power within every individual.

This project was made possible through the generous support of a national network of organizations.

Together, these partners and supporters have helped ensure that the project reflects lived experience, current research, and real community needs. Thanks to their generosity, these resources, like all M.I.understanding resources, are available to families, educators, and organizations at no cost.

With special thanks to Blair, Avneet, and Christy from the Calgary Fetal Alcohol Network (CFAN/myPotentia), for their leadership, collaboration, and guidance in bringing the FASD Understanding project to life.

By combining research, lived experience, and creative storytelling, we are working to create a trusted resource that strengthens understanding and improves outcomes for individuals with FASD and the families who support them.

We are deeply grateful to the families who generously shared their stories and lived experiences to help shape the content, messaging, and videos in this project. Your honesty, courage, and insight have guided this work and ensured it reflects real voices, real challenges, and real hope.