Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Parental Experiences and the Role of Family Counselors

Authors

Patrick J. Morrissette, Brandon UniversityFollow

Abstract

This paper discusses the experiences of foster/adoptive parents who raise children diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the instrumental role family counselors can play regarding child management issues, intimate relationships, larger system collaboration, and research. For the actual study, six parents participated in individual, in-depth tape-recorded interviews. Each interview was transcribed, thematically analyzed, and revealed seven predominant themes including (a) constant vigil, (b) effects on marriages, (c) child management, (d) parental issues, (e) interactions with professional community, (f) emancipation concerns, and (g) medical implications. The ways in which family counselors can intervene are reviewed and include the role of clinician, facilitator, and researcher/educator.

Keywords

qualitative research

Acknowledgements

Support for this Project was obtained through the Montana Center on Disabilities, Montana State University-Billings.

Publication Date

6-1-2001

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2001.2000

Recommended APA Citation

Morrissette, P. J. (2001). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Parental Experiences and the Role of Family Counselors. The Qualitative Report, 6(2), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2001.2000