Family of multiply retarded children placed in residential institutions

Abstract

Development of a child and family system is adversely affected likewise by establishment of too distant a relation with the retarded child which is undergoing the developing phase in case this category of children is placed in residential institutions. Deinstitutionalization and dehospitalization present models of operation­alization of the principle of normalization, individualization and integration which encourages building of lasting interpersonal relations by making it possible to live in a family (biological of foster one alike). Is that realistic when we have in mind the category of multiple retarded users and to what extent? The aim of this study is to examine the characteristics of the family system of families with multiply retarded children in residential conditions. A specially designed questionnaire was made for purpose of analyzing description of families with one retarded child or more retarded children. The study included 34 families from the territory of the Republic of Serbia which have child/children placed in the Home for retarded children and juveniles in Veternik. Through the analysis of the data obtained and the analysis of professional and scientific articles we obtain results indicating the importance of awareness of family systems of multiple retarded children. That in turn reveals what directions to take in further research work directed primarily to viewing of capacities of families but also finding of ways to improve the functioning of such families in the process of transformation of the social protection system.

Na razvoj: deteta i porodičnog sistema nepovoljno utiče i uspostavljanje preterano distanciranog odnosa sa ometenim detetom, koji se razvija u slučaju smeštaja ove kategorije dece u rezidencijalne ustanove. Deinstitucionalizacija i dehospitalizacija su modeli operacionalizacije principa normalizacije, individualizacije i integracije, a to podrazumeva podsticanje izgradnje trajnih međuljudskih odnosa osiguravanjem života u porodici (biološkoj ili hraniteljskoj). Da li je to i u kojoj meri realno kada posmatramo kategoriju višestruko ometenih korisnika? Cilj ovog rada je ispitivanje karakteristika porodičnog sistema porodica sa decom višestruko ometenom u razvoju u rezidencijalnim uslovima. Za potrebe analize opisa porodica sa višestruko ometenim detetom/decom posebno je dizajniran upitnik. Istraživanjem su obuhvaćene 34 porodice sa teritorije Republike Srbije koje imaju dete/decu sa višestrukom ometenošću smešteno u Domu za decu i omladinu ometenu u razvoju u Veterniku. Analizom dobijenih podataka i analizom stručnih i naučnih radova dobijeni su rezultati koji ukazuju na značaj poznavanja porodičnih sistema dece sa višestrukom ometenošću. To nam otkriva pravce daljih istraživanja usmerenih, pre svega, na sagledavanje kapaciteta porodica ali i otkrivanje načina za poboljšanje funkcionisanja ovih porodica u procesu transformacije sistema socijalne zaštite.