Abstract

CHAIM, Maria P. M; B. C. NETO, Sebastião; PEREIRA, Aminn y F.  and  COSTA, Virgínia E. S. M.. Phenomenology of the quality of life of autistic children. Rev. abordagem gestalt. [online]. 2020, vol.26, n.2, pp. 122-134. ISSN 1809-6867.  http://dx.doi.org/10.18065/2020v26n2.1.

The quality of life (QOL) of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is related to the symptomatic and idiopathic characteristics of the existential condition of the child and is determined by the subjective understandings attributed according to the individual experience. The primary objective of this article is to describe and understand the subjective constructs about the self-referenced QOL of mothers of children with ASD. It is an empirical study, qualitative and based on a reading of phenomenological psychopathology. Participated 10 mothers of children with ASD, users of public health services in Goiânia. The following instruments were used: a sociodemographic and clinical data questionnaire and a semi-structured interview script about QOL. The interviews were submitted to the construction of thematic categories, according to the methodology of Giorgi (1985), and later were correlated with the existential categories of Augras (2004). It was observed that although a standard is sought to understand QOL, each mother has subjective factors that reflect in her way of experiencing the condition of being a mother of a child with special needs. It is concluded that it is the science, when seeking to understand the quality of life of people with similar characteristics, to consider the relevance of the subjective aspects and the meaning that each mother constructs of its own reality.

Keywords : Quality of Life; Mother; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Phenomenological Psychopathology.

        · abstract in Portuguese | Spanish     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )