<p>Health, functionality, and social support in families with a child with a neurodevelopmental disorder - a pilot study</p>

Abstract

Introduction: Several studies have reported that having a child with a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) increases parental stress and that parental psychosocial functioning influences child`s development and behavior. It is unclear how parents of children with NDD experience family functionality, family health and receive support and if there are differences between experiences of mothers and fathers. Methods: Families with children referred to a neurocognitive unit were invited to the study. A modified version of the FAmily Functionality, HEalth, and Social support (FAFHES) questionnaire was used. Open-ended questions were also included. Results: Parents rated their social support lower than their family functionality and family health. Family functionality correlated positively with family health. No significant differences were found between mothers’ and fathers’ experiences. A three-months test-retest using the FAFHES showed no significant change in ratings of family functionality, family health, and social support. Conclusions: Family functionality was connected to family health in families with a child with NDD. Mothers and fathers experienced their family health, family functionality, and received social support in similar ways.

Dialogical Family Guidance (dfg)—Development and implementation of an intervention for families with a child with neurodevelopmental disorders

“…This article describes the development and implementation of a Dialogical Family Guidance intervention, aimed at families with a child with NDD. As previously mentioned, the DFG development and implementation process evolved from clinical experiences involving parents' narratives, and drawing from data from a pilot study (Cavonius‐Rintahaka et al., 2019). Forming a functioning family intervention for this target group and implementing it successfully in clinical practice has been a long‐term project.…”

“…Gathering the knowledge from earlier studies and existing interventions for this target group and combining it with clinical experience was a long, but necessary starting point. Before identifying the DFG components, a multitude of decisions were systematically made and a pilot study was carried out 2012–2014 (Cavonius‐Rintahaka et al., 2019). The intervention development process described here included many phases, and each activity made DFG development and implementation more meaningful.…”

“…Crises or other adversities may occur in all families; yet having a child with NDD can have different impacts on different family members. However, all of family members have an effect on each other and the family dynamic and communication inside the family are therefore crucial considerations when addressing family health (Cavonius‐Rintahaka et al., 2019).…”

“…Cavonius‐Rintahaka et al. (2019) conducted a pilot study about families' health, functionality, hopes and expectations and confirmed that families with a child with NDD seemed not to get the help they expected from professionals. Notably, parents, both hoped and expected professionals to listen, have dialogue and give attention to the entire family.…”

“…The ESSENCE concept covers NDD, and problems/symptoms not meeting the criteria for a certain NDD diagnosis (Gillberg, 2010; Thapar, Cooper, & Rutter, 2017). A family intervention model designed with a focus on the individual family's needs and questions has been advocated for this particular group (Cavonius‐Rintahaka, Aho, Voutilainen, Billstedt, & Gillberg, 2019).…”