| Popis: |
This is a multiple case study qualitative-descriptive research, conducted in two services for children with special needs in a municipality in the Southern region of Brazil, from August 2018 to March 2019. It aimed to describe the organization of families related to the eating habits of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Audiorecorded interviews were used and the analysis was carried out by the cross synthesis technique. Twenty-seven family members participated, mostly women and mothers. Two categories emerged: Reorganization of the family dynamics of eating practices, and Needs, limits and potential of support networks. There was a need of family reorganization to meet the child's condition, given the difficulties in communication and socialization that influenced the family's eating habits; participants also highlighted the limitations and the family financial condition that influenced the child's care. The impact on food does not exclusively consider the child's atypical eating characteristics, but demands the family's reorganization to understand, adapt and offer food, thus reorganizing the dynamics of families. Furthermore, there is a need for articulation between the family and the qualified support network, both formal and informal, which can contribute to positive changes. |
