09/01/2026
September is FASD Awareness Month.
For far too many Massachusetts families, including mine, the hardest part is not only navigating the daily realities of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders—it is the exhausting fight to get a diagnosis, find knowledgeable supports/providers, access services, and simply be heard.
Too often, children and adults with FASD fall through the cracks, especially here in Massachusetts. Their needs are misunderstood as behavioral problems, lack of effort, or something families should be able to manage alone.
Caregivers are left searching for answers in systems that are not prepared to recognize or support FASD.
I’m sharing information, lived experience, advocacy, and resources through my private Substack - Falling through the Cracks – FASD in MA.
✏️ Subscribe today: https://mhanlon51592.substack.com/
Please share this post with someone who needs to know they are not alone or to help bring FASD to the forefront of those who make legislative decisions to help close these cracks.
A personal look at raising a child with FASD in Massachusetts—sharing facts, real struggles, and the fight for support in a system where too many families fall through the cracks. Click to read Falling through the Cracks - FASD in MA, by Mary Ann Hanlon, a Substack publication.