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Impact of health and education systems on the experience of a mother with a child with Down syndrome
Authors: Yordanis Enríquez Canto
Number of views: 297
Children with Down syndrome have various health, behavioral and learning problems that require special attention. Because of this, they have difficulties in receiving adequate attention. Consequently, inefficiency in the health and education system impactson a personal and family level. However, in Peru, there is a gap of empirical and qualitative information about the impact on the lives of children with Down syndrome and their parents. Using a qualitative analysis of the contents of an interview with a mother, seven themes linked to the impact of these two areas were identified: orientation and support, work environment and health condition, relationship with the health system, relationship with the school, discrimination towards people with disabilities,change of perspective regarding disability and unconventional communication. The results show that the forms of inefficiency of the health and education systems have a negative impact on the lives of people with disabilities and their families. This impact affects family and work life, it also determines educational and health decisions. Likewise, there are still persistent forms of non-acceptance and more or less evident forms of discrimination, notwithstanding efforts for inclusion. Negative attitudes towards disability can be conditioned by their severity. The acceptance of disability is a process in which perception is modified. In it, it is fundamental to focus on the person and not simply on their limited condition.