Identifying the needs of families as a basis for promoting an early intervention program

• Autor(a) principal: Franco, Vitor
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Castro, Jaylson Bandeira Fernandes de
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista Educação Especial (UFSM)
• Texto Completo: http://periodicos.ufsm.br/educacaoespecial/article/view/67416
• topic: Early intervention; Disability; Family.; Atención temprana; Discapacidad; Familia.; Intervenção Precoce; Transtorno do desenvolvimento; Família.

Early intervention programs with children with disabilities evolved from a stimulation perspective, based on individual therapeutic work, to a family-centered approach. The implementation of this type of services implies a clear knowledge about the needs of families and their characteristics, so the first step should be their assessment. In this study, we sought to identify the needs of families of children with disabilities, assisted by the Association of Friends and Parents of Special People (AAPPE) in Maceió, Brazil. Twenty-eight families participated and data were collected through two questionnaires that assess how parents identify the needs of the child and themselves. The results show that what most worries families is child's future, health and development. In general, they find it difficult to know what to do to promote development, they do not know how it occurs, they know little about the options for services and resources available, and they register low social participation. Globally, information needs are the most valued, as are financial needs and lack of access to services in the community. Lack of information is a main obstacle to their involvement and empowerment. These results point to the importance of designing services and programs that respond to the needs of families and that can be effective for children. The identification of the expected needs and outcomes will also make it possible to subsequently assess the impact of the intervention and thus contribute to the children's inclusive educational trajectory.