Visually impaired children and teenager: understanding the network of family support

• Grant number: 14/10353-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2014
• End date: July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nursing - Pediatric Nursing
• Principal Investigator: Giselle Dupas
• Grantee: Gabriela Van Der Zwaan Broekman Castro
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Visual Impairment can be understood as any form of organic restraint connected to eye diseases that compromise optimal functioning of vision. In Brazil, the visual lost is a significant public health problem, since it's attached to proper disabilities, the shortage of preventive governmental programs and socioeconomic/cultural factors are related to limited availability of qualified ophthalmic resources for interventions in eye health. During the phases of blindness the family can go through many stressful and difficult times and they might not be able to overcome them. The responses to these situations imposed by the chronic condition can be influenced by social network and support that families have and draw upon in various moments. Thus, we aimed to understand the experience of children/adolescent's families with visual impairments toward interactions established with the support network accessed. This is a qualitative research whose theoretical framework Symbolic Interactionism. We will use Calgary Model Assessment and Family Intervention through the genogram, ecomap and semi-structured interview. The research will be conducted in São Carlos (São Paulo, Brazil) and the interviews will be scheduled previously and the predicted setting to do them will be the home of the individual itself. The individuals will be the parents and/or the responsible for the child/adolescent with low vision or blindness, without any other malformations or hearing loss associated with it. (AU)