Emosionele ondersteuning van moeders met kinders met kogleere implantings

[摘要] Cochlear implants are electronic devices implanted in the ear, which can givechildren with severe to profound hearing loss, access to sound and the opportunityto aquire spoken language. Such implants are achieved via a delicate surgicalprocedure, followed by an intensive rehabilitation program. Parents are intimatelyinvolved in this entire process and play a pivotal role in terms of decision-making,the surgery and the child's language development. Research has shown that thisprocedure causes increased stress levels in parents, as well as an initial experienceof mixed emotions. They also have to consider that some cochlear implants are notsuccessful and thus do not provide all children with access to sound and thepossibility of learning spoken language. Parents' first contact with professionalservices/persons is generally doctors, ear, nose and throat specialists, audiologists,speech therapists and social workers. Further research shows that the relationshipbetween such professionals and parents is not always satisfactory. As mothersoften work closest with professionals, the following research questions arose: Howdo mothers experience the emotional support they receive during the diagnosis,implantation procedure and rehabilitation, and what are their emotional needs duringthis time? Because of a lack of literature concerning the role of educationalpsychologists in this process, a third question arose: What role can the educationalpsychologist play during the diagnosis of deafness and the cochlear implantprocess?The purpose of this generic qualitative study, therefore, was to analyze, describeand explain the experience of eight mothers of children with cochlear implants, withregard to support and support needs. The study was conducted within theinterpretive paradigm, which guided the qualitative research design. Data wascollected by means of semi-structured interviews. The interview data weretranscribed and analyzed. The data analysis was done by using aspects ofgrounded theory. The findings show that mothers' experiences of the process wereunique, as the situation of each family differed. The eight mothers' needs foremotional support also differed because of their unique experiences. Furthermore, alack of support to parents after the rehabilitation process, just before children startprimary school, was identified, and it was established that the educationalpsychologist can play a role in this phase and transition phases. Recommendationswere made to improve the support mothers receive from professional services orpeople.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University