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Think Before You Drink

The Arc has a strong history and deep roots in the prevention of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), especially when it comes to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (or FASD), so I was thrilled to see my friend and colleague’s son in this week’s issue of PEOPLE Magazine (Check out the section called “Heroes Among Us”). Dillon Ohlemiller is 18 years old and the adopted son of Melinda Ohlemiller, a staunch advocate for people with FASD who worked for St. Louis Arc for 17 years. She knows first-hand the ins and outs of raising a child with an FASD, and the importance of early detection and providing intervention. That’s why The Arc called on her when we secured funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to write a curriculum educating others about the secondary disabilities of FASD and how to prevent them. Melinda and I worked together on this project back in the early 2000’s and today are both members of SAMHSA’s (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Expert panel on FASD.

Dillon is a shining example of how early supports and services can make the defining difference in the life of someone with an FASD. He has received support from the St. Louis Arc since he was 8 months old (and is currently in their summer program). At that time, The Arc had a collaborative arrangement with Our Little Haven (the agency featured in the PEOPLE article) to provide intervention and therapy services during Dillon’s early years, and the family also received respite and summer services throughout his childhood and adolescence.

With all The Arc and many other organizations, like SAMHSA and CDC have done in the area of education, some people still don’t realize that FASD is 100 percent preventable. Abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy is the surefire way to prevent a child from having an FASD. Thanks to families like The Ohlemiller’s who openly share their own story, The Arc’s “Think Before You Drink” message is finally getting the attention it deserves!