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.

Olson, H.C., Oti, R., Gelo, J., & Beck, S. (2009). “Family matters:” Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and the family. Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 15(3), 235-249. https://doi.org/10.1002/ddrr.65
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Keywords

  • Family
  • Caregiving environment
  • Caregiver/family function

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  1. A renewed call to action: The need for systematic research on intervention for FASD – Olson
  2. Parenting stress and sensory processing: children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders – Jirikowic et al.

Simplified Summary

This article looks at how family life affects kids with FASD. Research shows that a good home life helps people with FASD do better over time. The article uses several sources to answer two questions: How does family life affect people with FASD? And how does raising a child with FASD affect the rest of the family? The authors found that there is not much solid research on this topic yet. They use what is known, plus studies on other childhood conditions, to suggest ideas for future research and better ways to help families.