Abstract

PENA, Flávia de Freitas; ROSOLEM, Fernanda Cid  and  ALPINO, Ângela Maria Sirena. Contribuição da fisioterapia para o bem-estar e a participação de dois alunos com Distrofia Muscular de Duchenne no ensino regular. Rev. bras. educ. espec. [online]. 2008, vol.14, n.03, pp.447-462. ISSN 1413-6538.

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.

Keywords : Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy; Collaborative Consultation; Physiotherapy; Special Education.

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