2026 Education and FASD International Conference • Oct 23, 2026

Bridging the Gap: Supporting Youth with FASD as They Transition to Adulthood

2:15PM to 2:40PM PDT / 25min

The Lakeland Centre for FASD has been providing prevention, diagnosis, and intervention services to individuals and families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) for more than 25 years. In 2009, we recognized a significant gap in services for youth preparing for adulthood and developed our Transition Program. Over the past 17 years, the program has continued to evolve through experience, innovation, and collaboration.

Our Transition Program brings together youth, families, schools, and community partners to develop an individualized transition plan that focuses on the young person's strengths, goals, and vision for adulthood. Together, we identify priorities, assign responsibilities, and build a coordinated support network to help youth successfully transition to adult services, education, employment, and community life. This collaborative approach helps ensure that no one person carries the responsibility alone and that youth are supported long after the plan is complete.

This presentation will share the evolution of the program, the successes we've celebrated, the challenges we've encountered, and the lessons we've learned over the past 17 years. Participants will leave with practical ideas they can adapt within their own organizations to strengthen transition planning and improve outcomes for youth with FASD.