“Family matters:” Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and the family

Abstract

Information about ''family matters'' is vital to developing targeted interventions, reducing placement disruption, and enhancing outcome in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The quality of the caregiving environment and family function are associated with long-term outcome in natural history study of individuals with FASD. This article integrates multiple information sources to better understand the role of family factors in the outcome of individuals with FASD, and how the family is affected by raising a child with this lifelong condition. A brief description of the useful informal literature is brought together with a review of the surprisingly limited body of systematic research findings on FASD and caregiver/family function, and new data describing children with FASD and characteristics of their caregivers. Directions for future data-gathering and intervention development emerge from combining what is already known with an exploration of what can be learned from a highly targeted review of family-related data in the wide-ranging, general literature on developmental disabilities, and use of a proposed conceptual framework that joins a developmental systems perspective with a family systems approach.

Adaptive Functioning, Social Skills, Mental Health, and Personal Strengths among Adolescents with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (PAE)

“…2;2014 themselves as significantly worse than the norm on School Problems and Inattention/Hyperactivity on the BASC-2. These results are consistent with other research, which has shown that academic difficulties as well as ADHD (Olson et al, 2009) are a significant area of concerns among adolescents with PAE, and may again reflect greater awareness of behavior that is external, concrete, and often the subject of external feedback (e.g. consequences).…”

“…This is consistent with the high rates of co-morbid psychiatric diagnoses among individuals with PAE (Pei et al, 2011), although surprising to see the low rate of reported anxiety concerns given the high rate of anxiety disorders reported for this population (Olson et al 2009). It is also noteworthy that it was the externalizing concerns, such as antisocial behavior and aggression that were described as the greatest concerns, as opposed to internalizing disorders.…”

“…It is a welcome surprise that despite all the cognitive, emotional and behavioral challenges that individuals face as a result of prenatal exposure to alcohol; there is a sense of hope from both caregivers and adolescents about the future. A parent's sense of optimism towards their child with PAE can serve as a protective factor (Olson et al, 2009). Therefore, caregivers' optimistic view of the future can be helpful in aiding and supporting the adolescent to achieve future goals.…”

“…Yet little is known about how adolescents perceive their own functioning relative to others, and what they and others see as potential strengths on which they may build. Foster parents of children with FASD reported that one of their motives for fostering was to help children focus on their strengths (Olson, Oti, Gelo, & Beck, 2009). However, this is an aspiration goal and not one that has been empirically evaluated in research.…”

Promoting Abstinence From Alcohol During Pregnancy: Implications From Formative Research

“…These effects are collectively known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). These disorders are estimated to affect approximately 2-5% of live-births in the United States and some Western European countries (May et al, 2009), and the effects have lifelong implications for the affected individuals, their families, and their communities (Lupton, Burd, & Harwood, 2004;Olson, Oti, Gelo, & Beck, 2009;Streissguth, Barr, Kogan, & Bookstein, 1997). Strategies to prevent prenatal alcohol exposure include broad awareness-raising initiatives that target individuals' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes, and seek to create and reinforce a social context conducive to alcohol abstinence (Deshpande et al, 2005).…”