[The social portrait of child with disability as conceived by population of the Euro-Arctic region of Russia]

The problem of perceiving person with disability as "atypical" individual is one of the most acute in modern society. The stereotypes and fears existing in conceptions of citizens regarding this category are negatively reflected in current intensive inclusive processes. The most negatively negative conceptions about persons with disabilities affect children population, aggravating processes of socialization and inclusion in social practices inherent to their "norm-typical" peers. The survey of population of the Euro-Arctic region, carried out by the author in 2022, to identify characteristics of perception of children with disabilities, established that negative perceptions prevail in assessments of children with disabilities. The results demonstrated that, basically, disabled subjects are perceived through assessments of their personal and behavioral characteristics, and not through the social conditions of their life. The results of the study made it possible to conclude that medical model of disability significantly impact on citizens' perceptions of persons with disabilities. The phenomenon of disability itself can be attributed to factors contributing to negative labeling of its subjects. The conclusions and results of the study can be used to develop positive image of disabled perdsons in the Russian socium in process of further development of inclusive processes.

Determination of burnout, life satisfaction, and stress coping styles of parents with disabled children

PURPOSE

This study determined problems, fatigue, life satisfaction, family stress, and coping strategies of families who had a disabled child and the relationships between them.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted with 191 parents of children with disabilities.

FINDINGS

As the life satisfaction of childcare providers increased, their emotional exhaustion decreased and sense of personal accomplishment increased (p < 0.05).

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

It is necessary that nurses and health team members should provide regular and continuous education for burnout, life satisfaction, family stress and coping styles to parents of disabled children using interactive education techniques and group interactions.

Family functioning of single-parent families with children attending a special needs school in Japan

BACKGROUND

Single-parent families with disabled children are obliged to take special care of children and shoulder excessive burdens. This study aimed to clarify the family functioning of child-rearing single-parent families with children attending special needs schools in Japan.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with qualitative content analysis utilized for data analysis.

RESULTS

The results of the data analysis clarified nine categories: excessive concentration of family functioning on mothers, and adjustments in the family functioning they perform; creation of a family environment friendly to disabled children and their families; satisfaction with family needs by gaining support from the neighborhood and social resources; anxieties related to children's disabilities; promotion of a better understanding of disability; unavoidable reduction in the amount of time shared by the family; efforts to maintain an infrastructure for health care; selection and effective use of a special needs school; and strengthened bonds between families with disabled children.

CONCLUSIONS

Receiving adequate support from the school is of great assistance in enabling families to maintain their family functioning. This demonstrates that, through the use of the time while the child attends a special needs school, the family can accomplish family functioning, contributing to a fulfilling family life.

[The social health of family with disabled child during period of early childhood and school years]

The purpose of the study is to compare social health of families with disabled children of early childhood and school age. The social health of family with disabled child is defined as satisfaction of family members with their position in society, their opportunities for social functioning, self-realization and interaction with social institutions that ensure their social security and support, accessibility of social environment and medical and social services. The results of original sociological surveys of parents implemented in 2017 and 2020 were applied. The emphasis is made on the peculiarities of functioning of families depending on the age of disabled child. The article demonstrates the problems of social health of families with disabled children of early childhood and families whose disabled children reached school years. The particular resources for solving these problems are discussed. The changes in social status and life strategies of parents are considered. The dynamics of medical social and other related family problems depending on the age of the «special» child is discussed. The problems of insufficient accessibility of social environment and medical and social services are revealed. The need of families with disabled children in early assistance and comprehensive support from the state services at the level of interdepartmental interaction is determined. The main directions of such support are established depending on life situation of parents and their expectations, the state of health and the degree of disability of the child. The article highlights the need to organize comprehensive support centers for families with disabled children and/or a system of personal supervision of such families involving volunteers. The main functional responsibilities of personal supervisors are defined. The practical recommendations are developed to improve the system of comprehensive support for families with disabled children.

Evaluation of care burden among mothers of children with a disability: Correlation between physical activity, quality of life, and sleep quality; a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

The aim of the study was to determine the correlation between care burden and physical activity, quality of life, and sleep quality of mothers with disabled children.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The study was conducted with 165 mothers in a private rehabilitation center.

FINDINGS

There was a significant correlation between care burden and quality of life and sleep quality among mothers with disabled children.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

It is necessary for nurses to consult parents in terms of social support and to provide psychological support for families with disabled children to reduce the care burden of parents.

Availability and Quality of Web Resources for Parents of Children With Disability: Content Analysis and Usability Study

BACKGROUND

The internet is a valuable resource for parents of typical children, who are looking for information about their children's growth and development and how to boost them. However, for parents of children with special needs, especially for non-English-speaking parents, there are anecdotal reports stating that specific and accurate information is not available on the internet.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to describe the type of information available on the internet for French-speaking parents of children with disability as well as assess the quality of the information collected.

METHODS

We carried out a search of the existing relevant websites targeted at parents of children with disability. We used a validated instrument to extract structural, textual, and visual characteristics of these websites and evaluate their usability.

RESULTS

In all, 42 websites were analyzed; of these, the information had been validated by a trustworthy source in only 18 (43%) websites. Networking opportunities for parents were available in only 7 (17%) websites. Most websites provided information related to autism spectrum disorder (20/42, 42%) and learning disabilities (19/42, 45%), and only a few websites discussed other disability types such as behavorial disorders and developmental language disorders (4/42, 10% each). Community, social, and civic life (9/42, 22%); domestic life (12/42, 29%); and mobility (15/42, 36%) were the less frequently covered topics. With regard to the usability evaluation, 22 of the 42 (52%) websites received a global score <70%, whereas 20 (48%) scored ≥70.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the internet is an infinite source of information, it is not necessarily actionable for parents of children with disability. Some information remains difficult to find online, and networking opportunities with other parents dealing with similar challenges are scarce.

Prevalence of Malocclusion and Occlusal Traits in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Background

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the prevalence of malocclusion in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and to determine the most common occlusal traits.

Materials and Methods

The present cross-sectional study was conducted among 7–15 years old children with ASDs and randomly selected healthy children with the same demographic characteristics. Molar relationship, lip incompetence, overbite, overjet, midline deviation, crossbite, and crowding/spacing were recorded. A descriptive analysis was performed for all variables. A comparison of the presence or absence of malocclusion traits between children with and without ASDs was assessed using the chi-square test. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to calculate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) to assay various parameters between autism and non-autism group.

Results

A total of 96 patients were assessed, 47 patients in the ASD group, and 49 in the control (non-ASD) group. The results showed no significant difference between the ASD and control groups in terms of the overall prevalence of malocclusion (P>0.05). However, the prevalence of increased overjet and Class II molar relationship was significantly higher in the ASD group compared to the control group (P=0.03). Patients in the control group showed a higher prevalence of midline deviation (P=0.001).

Conclusion

Despite a higher prevalence of overjet and Class II molar relationship in children with ASDs, the prevalence of malocclusion was not higher in this group of patients.

[Shame of having a disabled child]

This work is devoted to the problem of shame linked to disability in children. It has been inspired by patients - disabled infants and their parents. The shame evidently experienced during meetings with parents learning about their child's condition leads to many difficult questions. Shame is not a simple, isolated emotion. It is a complicated feeling, closely connected to various shame-related emotions and experiences. Shame leads to a sense of guilt and self-blame. Shame linked to a child's disability is a shame of 'lacking' and low self-esteem. Additionally it is feeling of nakedness, vulnerability and despoilment of intimacy; it makes parents feel forced to put their interior world on display and to show their weakness caused by their child's condition. Sometimes shame is an experience of humiliation, or hurt dignity caused by the looks of other people. It is also the shame of one's own difficult thoughts, desire to escape responsibility. It is being ashamed of experiencing shame. It is an emotion of ultimate suffering, often returning during whole life. One solution to the 'discomfort of birth' could be a lonely island. The issue is not that simple, however, and philosophy helps in this respect. A being is good and it has to be good. One cannot be someone, one is not. This is the difference between a being and a desire. There is love and acceptance, but there is also shame - even on a lonely island.