Reações dos familiares frente à descoberta da deficiência dos filhos

The birth of an impaired child is of great impact to the family, causing changes in the family dynamics. Different feelings and reactions are experienced uniquely by each family member. The lack of preparation of health professionals to deal with this delicate time of diagnosis might exacerbate feelings, complicating the acceptance of the child and the search for treatment. Based on these considerations, the present study aimed to investigate the \udreactions and feelings that permeate and pervade the lives of parents of impaired children, trying to contribute to the practice of occupational therapists and other professionals. The study was conducted with parents of children aged between two and seven years old who presented disabilities in which motor function was the most affected item. Four mothers and three fathers of different ages participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were \udconducted based on a questionnaire prepared by the researchers. The results showed the emotional fragility of parents toward the matter and the lack of preparation of health professionals at the time of diagnosis. In general, shock, negation, guilt, and sadness appeared as the most common feelings and reactions when participants are impacted by the diagnosis. Knowing that the parental role is very important for child development, occupational therapy can develop an important work with families of impaired children