Since early 2024, FASD-CAN has been hosting several free weekend camps a year for individuals with FASD.

The camps involve wānanga / learning about FASD, whakawhanaungatanga / connecting with others who understand them, and activities designed to enhance confidence and just have fun. There's also plenty of downtime to recover from this usually unaccustomed level of stimulation!

Over 2025, our kaiārahi / youth leaders and the rest of the rangatahi who attend the Tītoki weekends had a focus on self-advocacy: identifying key points they want everyone to know about FASD, how it affects them, where the system fails them and what their ongoing needs are – after all, they are the experts in FASD.

The Eight Key Messages

Using participatory and interactive activities, the group created and refined a series of points which they feel sum up the problems associated with lack of support and knowledge about FASD in Aotearoa NZ. 

These messages are a powerful statement, representing the voices of young people with lived experience of FASD.

The rangatahi know they can use the Key Messages in any situation, around the dinner table with whānau, amongst friends, talking to a teacher or social worker, interacting with the media, policy makers or MPs – knowing that others are saying the same thing.

Once the Key Messages had been finalised, the rangatahi were positive and excited, with many saying it was the first time they felt they had truly clarified these ideas in their own minds as well as within the group. 

Click here, or on the image above, to open a nine-page pdf which can be used to learn about or illustrate to others the lived experience of people with FASD in Aotearoa.

Click here to watch the prize-winning video (10 mins) FASD-CAN made on the process of creating the Key Messages.