Parenting Course for Parents of Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Versus Waitlist: A Randomised Controlled Feasibility Study of the SPECIFiC (Salford Parents and Carers’ Education Course for Improvements in FASD Outcomes in Children) Programme
Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects an estimated 2-4% of children in the UK. There is a lack of services for people with FASD, their parents and carers. Several adoptive parents of children with FASD told us they were offered parenting courses that were not designed for FASD, so we decided to fill that gap by writing one. SPECIFiC is a 7-week, online, group training course for caregivers of young children with FASD – the first of its kind in the UK. Preliminary results suggest SPECIFiC was feasible, useful, and well-received by a small number of families. We are currently testing our parenting programme in a pilot trial, where it is being delivered to 120 families. We are collecting data from our participants to measure the effects of SPECIFiC on parenting stress, parenting self-efficacy, children’s behavioural difficulties, parents’ mental health symptoms, and parents’ knowledge of FASD. The project is being funded by grants from NIHR and the Oglesby Foundation worth a combined £400,000, and this pilot trial will lead into a larger randomised controlled trial. Eventually, SPECIFiC has the potential to become the main post-diagnostic treatment for families affected by FASD in the UK.
Team
Prof Raja Mukherjee
Prof Simon Skene
Dr Jen Shields
Mr Paul Earl
Ms Anna Webster