Abstract

ROCHA, Isabela Silva; HUEB, Martha Franco Diniz  and  SCORSOLINI-COMIN, Fabio. The (un)speakable life: the active listening of children in institutional care. Contextos Clínic [online]. 2020, vol.13, n.1, pp. 125-151. ISSN 1983-3482.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4013/ctc.2020.131.07.

Institutional reception is a temporary measure that should enable the child to develop and autonomy within a safe environment. In this process, children are not always allowed to know their life stories and build their own narratives. Similar movement is observed in childhood studies, with little room for the manifestation of the child's voice. This study aimed to know the feelings and expectations of children in institutional care. This is a collective case study based on Winnicott's psychoanalysis, in which five children welcomed and in the process of preparation for adoption participated. Individual Care Plans were consulted and the Playful Observation technique and the Drawing-Story-Themed Procedure were applied. Data were analyzed based on Comprehensive Diagnosis and Free Material Inspection. The playful, imaginary and narrative expressions expressed by the children revealed the anguish related to both waiting for adoption and experiences in this context, identified by the affective absence and, often, the uncertainty about the future. The results demonstrate the relevance of these children's active listening as a way of enabling them to express their feelings and anxieties and enable them to make a better transition to their surrogate family.

Keywords : adoption (child); institutionalization; child institutionalized.

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