Have you seen FASD Understanding? This innovative Canadian project is helping children learn about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in a compassionate, engaging, and child-friendly way — through puppets.
Created through a collaboration between researchers, community organizations, families with lived experience, and professional puppeteers, the project aims to increase understanding, reduce stigma, and support meaningful conversations about FASD in homes, schools, and communities.
The videos and educational resources are designed specifically for children and the adults who support them, including educators, caregivers, and service providers. Using storytelling and puppetry helps make complex ideas easier for children to understand while creating a safe and approachable space to ask questions and explore emotions.
One of the most unique aspects of the project is the involvement of acclaimed Canadian puppeteers whose work includes productions such as Fraggle Rock and other major children’s programs. Their creativity and experience bring warmth, accessibility, and heart to conversations that can sometimes feel difficult to begin.
As project member Blair McCormick shares:
“…we believe that building understanding early in life is one of the most powerful ways to reduce stigma and strengthen support for individuals with FASD. The FASD Understanding project gives children a compassionate, engaging, and accessible way to learn about FASD, and the use of puppets helps create a safe and relatable space for kids to explore big questions and emotions. It opens the door to conversations that families, educators, and communities often struggle to start. We are proud to contribute to a resource that helps create a more informed, empathetic, and supportive future for everyone impacted by FASD.”
These resources offer an important opportunity to help children better understand neurodiversity, empathy, inclusion, and support, all while making learning engaging and age-appropriate.
The resources are free to access and worth exploring for families, schools, and community organizations alike.
Learn more here:
https://fasdunderstanding.ca/about/