A Qualitative Research on the views of Rehabilitation Staff About the Family Functioning

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze rehabilitation staff views about the functioning of families of children with special needs in rehabilitation approaches. Material and Methods: The study was designed as a case study which is one of the qualitative research designs. The study group consisted of 100 individuals from different occupational groups (physiotherapists, psychologists, child development specialists, preschool teachers, occupational therapists, social worker and physician) working in the field of rehabilitation for at least a year. A semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers was used as a data collection tool. In the analysis of the data, content analysis technique was used. Results: The results of the study showed that rehabilitation staff believed that family members were important contributors to the treatment of children with special needs and that children's independence in daily life could only be achieved through family involvement. Conclusion: The findings of this study support family-based approaches that are becoming increasingly common in health care and rehabilitation applications. The views of rehabilitation staff suggest that family involvement is important and effective for children, families and rehabilitation. There is a need for more extensive studies that examine in detail the factors affecting family involvement