Rewards of Parenting a Child with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

There is a considerable amount of research on the challenges associated with parenting children who have disabilities, and little that focuses on positive aspects. The purpose of the study was to describe the rewards of parents of children with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Nineteen birth, foster or adoptive parents were asked to answer the following question: “What are the rewards of parenting a child with a FASD?” The data were analyzed using multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. Four clusters resulted. Parents indicated that they saw the children’s effort, growth, and accomplishment in a variety of domains as encouraging. Parents also reported feeling appreciated by the children. Results suggest that rewarding parenting experiences with children who have alcohol-related disabilities are multiple, diverse and, when compared to the literature, largely consistent. The results lend credibility to the existing literature on the rewards of parenting children with developmental disabilities, and FASD in particular.