O envolvimento do pai com o filho com deficiência visual: um estudo de casos múltiplos

Abstract

This master dissertation investigated father involvement with visually handicapped children, aged between two and six years. To achieve this purpose qualitative research was used, choosing a multiple case study. Six parents participated in the survey, residents in Bahia state, which had at least one child with visual impairments, aged between two and six years, followed by early institution that serves children with such disabilities. Besides cohabiting with the children, the father also had another child without disabilities. The study was approved by the Ethics Comitee in Research Prof. Dr. Celso Figueirôa Santa Izabel Hospital /SCMBA and then in an institution where children with visual disability, participants were selected according to the above criteria. They were invited by telephone to attend a previously scheduled day and time. All participants signed an informed consent. Interviews were conducted with each parent separately and taped so that no information was lost. Data were analyzed descriptively. The main results were: the arrival of the visually handicapped child in the family caused different impacts depending on the participants' previous experiences of living with people with disabilities, but we continued to lifetime learning to cope and live with the presence of one of these conditions in family context. Being a parent of a child with visual impairment, even with experienced dramas, consisting of positive experience, a gift. A direct interaction between the father and his son with visual impairment occurred through various ways such as: carrying him, accompanying him on specialized care, taking care of him physically, giving him pleasure/conviviality, accompanying him in carrying out schoolwork and communicating with him. Parents are more available to meet the needs of their children at times when they are present in home as well as when they are in work hours, if requested by phone. They are also available at times when mothers are absent. Respondents reported that they feel responsible for their children in all aspects of being a parent highlighted the financial and leisure provision, and the other, making decisions. When comparing the forms of parental involvement with the visually impaired child and the child without disabilities, it was found that in the question interaction, engagement is higher with visually impaired child, due care required by the disability. Moreover, parents are involved equally with respect to accessibility and responsibility. It is concluded that the parents had a good involvement in direct interaction with their visually impaired child, which favored the psychosocial development of the child. Furthermore, the presence of the father was positive in the moral support given to his wife, which helped in coping with family drama before the disabled child. It points to the need for future studies to further investigate the involvement of the father in the various types of disabilities.