The contribution of Physiotherapy for the well-being and participation of two students with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in regular school

• Autor(es):

  Pena, Flávia de Freitas (Universidade Estadual de Londrina. Hospital Universitário);

  Rosolém, Fernanda Cid (Universidade Estadual de Londrina);

  Alpino, Ângela Maria Sirena (Universidade Estadual de Londrina. Área de concentração: Educação do Indivíduo Especia).

• Fonte:

  Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial; volume 14, número 3, páginas 447-462. Dezembro 2008.

• Assuntos:

  Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy;

  collaborative consultation;

  physiotherapy;

  special education.

• Resumo:

  Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is among the most serious and incapacitating childhood myopathies. Children progressively lose strength and usually die from respiratory infection by the end of their adolescence. The first symptoms are usually noticed in early childhood by teachers or caregivers. This study aimed to analyze the effects of collaborative consultation and planning proposal involving physiotherapy with classroom teachers and physical education teachers of two students with DMD, who presented severely limiting functional abilities; the objective was to improve their participation and comfort in the two most significant contexts of their daily lives: at school and at home. Visits to the two students' schools and to one of their homes were undertaken, in order to investigate their actual needs. Data was collected through interviews with the students, their parents, classroom teachers and physical education teachers. The strategies that were developed involved the adaptation of school furniture, acquisition of low tech materials and resources for the students' use and promotion of specialized orientations for the teachers involved and parents of the student with greater physical needs. It was possible to observe that the ecologic physiotherapy approach, aimed at environmental adaptations and collaborative planning of activities, provided some help and comfort for the participating students and enabled greater involvement/participation at school, besides contributing to the teachers' development. Furthermore, the adaptations of the students' homes and supervision of the parents were demonstrated to be essential measures as they provided some comfort and autonomy to the student with more severe limitations in the home environment.

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