A LONG JOURNEY: BIOLOGICAL AND NON-BIOLOGICAL PARENTS’EXPERIENCES RAISING CHILDREN WITH FASD

摘要

BackgroundResearch evaluating the experiences of birth and adoptive parents raising children with a fetal alcoholspectrum disorder (FASD) is needed to ascertain facilitating factors and barriers to successful familyfunctioning. Qualitative approaches to parents’ experiences can help us better understand in what waysfamilies need support and can also be used to guide quantitative research in this area.ObjectivesThe present study is a qualitative, descriptive investigation of parents’ experiences raising children withFASD in an Alberta city and environs.MethodsEleven participants, consisting of biological (3), adoptive (7), and foster (1) parents were interviewedusing an unstructured format in order to enable them to share their “as-is” experience. Aphenomenological-hermeneutic approach and thematic analysis was used to analyze and organize the datainto themes.ResultsNine central themes were derived from the interviews: 1) something’s not right; 2) receiving a diagnosis;3) attitudes toward birth parents; 4) living in a war zone; 5) understanding my child; 6) getting support; 7)re-defining success; 8) lifelong parenting; and 9) my child’s gifts. Sub-themes were derived from severalof these central themes. Descriptions of central and sub-themes are provided as data from each arepresented.ConclusionsBy better understanding parents’ experiences, family members, teachers, professionals, support personnel,and the community can better support parents of children with FASD. This support is needed in order topromote stable environments for families raising children with FASD, which has been identified as acritical protective factor to promote lifelong successes for those living with the disorder.