This Isn't Rare. It's Just Overlooked. Let's Do Better for Kids with Prenatal Substance Exposure

By Mary Kirchoff, CEO of Wonderland Child & Family Services / Hope Rising Clinic

BOTHELL, Wash., July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent article highlighted a child navigating life with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), and like so many stories, it was framed as something rare or unusual. But the truth is—it's not.

In fact, it's not even close to rare.

Right here in Washington State, over 165,000 children are estimated to be living with the effects of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) or Prenatal Substance Exposure (PSE). PSE refers to the exposure of a developing fetus to alcohol or other substances during pregnancy, a reality that cuts across all socioeconomic lines, affecting families in every corner of our communities.  PSE is statistically four times more prevalent than and often misdiagnosed as autism.

These are not isolated cases. These are students in our schools, children in our neighborhoods, and caregivers doing everything they can to find answers and support.

Diagnoses related to FASD are often delayed or missed entirely, sometimes not formally recognized until adolescence or adulthood. And while there is no cure for this brain-based disability, what we do know is that early intervention changes outcomes. With the right support, children impacted by PSE can build strong relationships, develop skills, and thrive alongside their peers.

We have to start by changing the conversation.

In a world where stigma, shame, and blame still shape much of the media coverage around PSE, we must center our focus not on why it happened, but on what children and families need now. At Hope Rising Clinic, a division of Wonderland Child & Family Services, we know deeply that the cause of a child's disability is secondary to their right to compassionate care, critical services, and long-term support.

Sensationalizing someone's diagnosis does not create change. What does? Recognizing that PSEs are brain-based disabilities that, like so many others, deserve appropriate education, funding, and system-wide support to positively change the lives of those affected.

Every day, we work with children who have experienced PSE and families navigating complex and often siloed systems of care. What they need is understanding—not judgment. Connection—not confusion. What they deserve is a coordinated system of support that sees the whole child, not just the diagnosis.

It is our responsibility—as a community, as a state, and as a society—to provide that.

PSE isn't rare. It's a very real "silent" epidemic. And it's growing in a post-pandemic, cuts-to-Medicaid world

We urge funders, policymakers, health systems, and community leaders to step forward—to invest in early identification, fund trauma-informed care, train professionals across sectors, and listen to families who are too often overlooked.

These children are not problems to be solved. They are full of possibilities. And we owe it to them—and to each other—to do better.

Hope RISING Clinic  
Hope RISING Clinic, founded in 2019 by Wonderland Child & Family Services, provides specialized care for children and families affected by prenatal substance exposure. Through a comprehensive, trauma-informed service model, the clinic addresses the developmental, emotional, and behavioral needs of children impacted by PSE, while offering family-focused support programs to ensure lasting positive outcomes. For more information, visit hoperisingclinic.org.

Contact: 
Claire Lee  
Sr. Marketing Specialist 
425-281-5653 
[email protected] 

SOURCE Hope Rising Clinic