Deb Evensen, MA, is an internationally recognized Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) consultant, master teacher, and behavior specialist with more than five decades of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults with complex needs. Beginning her career as a special educator focused on behavior disorders, she encountered her first student with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in 1982, an experience that permanently redirected her professional path toward understanding and addressing the brain-based challenges created by prenatal alcohol exposure. Since then, she has been a pioneer in developing practical, relationship-centered strategies that help individuals with FASD succeed at home, in school, and in the community. Evensen has spent thousands of hours in classrooms and villages across Alaska, the lower 48 states, Canada, and other countries-including work with programs in Japan, Australia, and Ukraine-helping teams design systems that work for neurodiverse learners. She is best known for co-creating the widely used "Eight Magic Keys" framework, which distills essential supports such as structure, routine, simplicity, concrete language, and supervision into clear, teachable concepts for educators and caregivers. Her consultation has supported major school districts, including the Anchorage School District and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, in building capacity to respond to FASD across all grade levels and programs. A frequent keynote speaker, trainer, and webinar presenter, Evensen is also an outspoken advocate who works alongside families, justice professionals, and service systems to reframe "challenging behavior" as communication from a differently wired brain. Her contributions have been honored with multiple awards, including Alaska's inaugural "Vision, Leadership, and Commitment to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome" recognition for her early leadership in the field.

Through her consulting work and authorship, she continues to champion a future in which people living with FASD are understood, respectfully supported, and surrounded by communities that believe success is possible at every stage of life.