Personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities from the family counseling process

Personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities from the family counseling process

La autonomía personal en estudiantes con discapacidad visual desde el proceso de orientación familiar

Autonomia pessoal em alunos com deficiência visual a partir do processo de orientação familiar

¹San Carlos Higher Normal Educational Institution. La Union. Narino. Colombia.

vicburcar@gmail.com
²University of Cienfuegos. Center for Studies of Didactics and Management of Higher Education (CEDDES). Education Faculty. Cuba.

jmassani@ucf.edu.cu

**Citar como**
Burbano Carabalí, V.M.,Massani Enríquez, J.F. (2023). Personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities from the family counseling process. Mendive. Revista de Educación, 21(4), e3606. https://mendive.upr.edu.cu/index.php/MendiveUPR/article/view/3606

Given the birth of a child with a visual disability or who acquires this condition in the course of his life, guidance and support for families has a special connotation. The objective of this article is aimed at proposing a family guidance system for the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities in Basic Secondary Education in Colombia. In the methodology used, theoretical and empirical methods such as logical history, synthetic analytics, systemic approach and modeling were combined, a questionnaire was applied to families of students with visual disabilities, interviews with students, teachers from official educational institutions and methodological triangulation to determine requirements derived from the different methods used. The family guidance system is made up of three subsystems called basic, enrichment and consolidation that ensure a logical and harmonious relationship by establishing its development based on the results obtained in the initial diagnosis and where the demands of society and the Colombian educational system are taken into account. As results, it was obtained that the system is pertinent from its application in the selected sample and contributed to the orientation of families in the development of personal autonomy in their relative with Visual Disability.

Ante el nacimiento de un hijo con discapacidad visual o que adquiere esta condición en el transcurso de su vida, la orientación y el acompañamiento a las familias alcanza una connotación especial. El objetivo del presente artículo se encamina a proponer un sistema de orientación familiar para el desarrollo de la autonomía personal en estudiantes con discapacidad visual de la Educación Básica Secundaria en Colombia. En la metodología utilizada se combinaron métodos teóricos y empíricos tales como: histórico-lógico, analítico-sintético, enfoque sistémico y modelación. Se aplicó un cuestionario a familias de estudiantes con discapacidad visual, entrevistas a estudiantes, a docentes de instituciones educativas oficiales y la triangulación metodológica, para determinar regularidades derivadas de los diferentes métodos utilizados. El sistema de orientación familiar está integrado por tres subsistemas que se denominan: básico, de enriquecimiento y de consolidación, que aseguran una relación lógica y armónica al establecer su desarrollo a partir de los resultados obtenidos en el diagnóstico inicial y donde se tienen en cuenta las exigencias de la sociedad y del sistema educativo colombiano. Como resultado se obtuvo que el sistema es pertinente a partir de su aplicación en la muestra seleccionada y contribuyó a la orientación de las familias en el desarrollo de la autonomía personal en su familiar con discapacidad visual.

Palabras clave: autonomía personal; discapacidad visual; orientación familiar.

Quando uma criança nasce com deficiência visual ou adquire essa condição ao longo da vida, a orientação e o apoio às famílias assumem uma conotação especial. O objetivo deste artigo é propor um sistema de orientação familiar para o desenvolvimento da autonomia pessoal em alunos com deficiência visual no Ensino Médio Básico na Colômbia. A metodologia utilizou métodos teóricos e empíricos combinados como: histórico-lógico, analítico-sintético, abordagem sistêmica e modelagem. Foi aplicado questionário às famílias dos alunos com deficiência visual, entrevistas com alunos, professores de instituições oficiais de ensino e triangulação metodológica, para determinar regularidades derivadas dos diferentes métodos utilizados. O sistema de orientação familiar é composto por três subsistemas denominados: básico, enriquecimento e consolidação, que garantem uma relação lógica e harmoniosa, estabelecendo o seu desenvolvimento com base nos resultados obtidos no diagnóstico inicial e atendendo às demandas da sociedade e do sistema educacional colombiano. Como resultado, constatou-se que o sistema é relevante a partir da sua aplicação na amostra selecionada e contribuiu para a orientação das famílias no desenvolvimento da autonomia pessoal do seu familiar com deficiência visual.

Palavras-chave: autonomia pessoal; deficiência visual; Aconselhamento familiar.

Given the birth of a child with a disability or who acquires this condition in the course of his or her life, the state and society must be guarantors of his or her comprehensive development, on equal terms with people who do not have such a situation.

Faced with this problem, international organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO; 2017, 2021) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF, 2013), guide the identification, the care and support of people with disabilities, recognizing, in turn, the role of the family in their education, with the purpose of avoiding abandonment or neglect due to the type of impediment, place of residence, culture or social class to which which one they belong to.

Currently, the need to delve into studies regarding the family orientation process that has been developed around students with visual disabilities and, especially, in the development of their personal autonomy becomes relevant; However, the contributions of the National Organization of the Spanish Blind (ONCE) are recognized, which provides psychology, ophthalmology and education services for the development of personal autonomy to its members.

Authors such as Santiesteban and Montero (2020), Burbano and Massani (2021), Pérez (2022) and Madrigal (2022), among others, agree that it is a capacity that allows the visually impaired individual to function and orient themselves in the environment, as well as making decisions worthy of respect for others. They also address personal autonomy in their studies as a psychological and ethical process that enables the student to regulate their behavior.

The above becomes more valid given the recognition of the high statistical values around the prevalence of visual disability in Colombia, given that, as determined by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE, 2020), there is an increase in people with this condition in the country, which amounts to approximately 3,125,575 individuals, highlighting the need to implement intervention processes that ensure the guarantee of their rights.

For his part, as far as family guidance is concerned, Morales (2016) is recognized, who conducted a study on the experiences of parents of children with visual disabilities in Colombia, where the purpose was to know their feelings and needs to provide them with support, improve their quality of life and strengthen their attendance in school environments; This author corroborates that studies on the experiences of parents of children with visual disabilities continue to be very scarce.

The above, together with the empirical study carried out by the authors of this article where interviews were applied to managers and teachers, to students with visual disabilities and their families, as well as observations at home and in educational institutions, allowed us to arrive at the following regularities: The family orientation process carried out in Basic Secondary Education (EBS) is limited to parent meetings and the delivery of academic reports; lack of systematicity in the support of professionals supporting students and their families, limiting the efficiency of guidance and the development of personal autonomy; The families of these students in the municipality of La Unión, Nariño, Colombia express attitudes of overprotection, disinterest or abandonment in their children's education; Students with visual disabilities have an incipient development of personal autonomy, manifested in difficulties in mastering the Braille system and typhotechnological tools, dependence on movement and in the development of activities of daily living, low self-esteem and little education in the emotional-sexual relationships.

Based on the above, the objective is: to propose a family guidance system for the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities in Basic Secondary Education.

The present study aims to contribute to the improvement of the family counseling process from the educational institution, where the educational, counseling and therapeutic levels are structured in a system that seeks to guide the families of students with visual disabilities in the development of autonomy. staff. The convergence of these factors will promote attention to the guidance needs of families and will in turn facilitate the school and social inclusion of students with DV, with the purpose of guaranteeing equity of opportunities for all; This is where the importance of the work carried out lies.

The methodology used in the research is mixed, since it combines quantitative and qualitative analysis. Theoretical and empirical methods were used such as:

The EBS questionnaire was applied to families of students with visual disabilities to verify the level of knowledge they have in relation to the development of personal autonomy and their criteria in relation to the family guidance received from the educational institution.

Interview students with visual disabilities to check the level of development they have in relation to their personal autonomy and determine which areas require family guidance.

Interview teachers of students with visual disabilities, to learn how teachers carry out the family orientation process and the potential and needs of students in relation to their personal autonomy.

The researcher's diary allowed evidence to be collected and written follow-up of the development of the activities proposed in the family guidance system to make assessments and reflections that allow evaluating the results obtained during the research process.

Methodological triangulation made it possible to determine regularities derived from the different methods used.

At the mathematical-statistical level, percentage analysis was used in the quantification and processing of the data obtained in the application of the questionnaire to families, which made its subsequent interpretation possible.

For the research, 20 relatives of seven students with DV who are studying EBS, in the municipality of Unión Nariño, Colombia, were selected, of which three are from the San Carlos Superior Normal School and four from the Juanambú educational institution. The selection was made based on the following criteria: willingness to participate in the study, family environment with greater affectation in the emotional and structural spheres, need for guidance in the development of personal autonomy and possibility of traveling to the educational institution.

In order to verify the correspondence of the theoretical requirements with the educational reality of the family counseling process, a diagnosis was carried out that aimed to determine the potential and needs for carrying out the family counseling process and the development of personal autonomy in students. with visual impairment from EBS.

The analysis of regulatory documents that govern educational policy in the Republic of Colombia was carried out with the objective of investigating the inclusion of family guidance for the development of personal autonomy in them.

The documents consulted were: Law 115 of 1994, which issued the General Education Law (1994) and Decree 1421 of 2017, which regulates the construction of the Individual Reasonable Adjustments Plan (2017).

As regularities, it is identified that: the need to guide families is referred to and aspects related to the development of personal autonomy are included. The co-responsibility of authorities, educational institutions and fundamentally the family in the education of people with disabilities is accentuated.

In the document of technical, administrative and pedagogical guidelines for educational care for students with disabilities within the framework of inclusive education, the need to work jointly between family-community-educational institution is recognized, as well as generating concrete actions to link and empower families in the educational processes of their children with disabilities.

It can be seen that the provisions contemplated in the different documents are disjointed and do not require specific actions to be developed to guide families in the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities.

A survey was also carried out on 29 family members who constituted the identified population, with the purpose of investigating how they contribute to the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities and the guidance they have received for its development.

- 20.68% of family members consider that their family member with visual disabilities is an autonomous person, 68.96% affirm that they are not and the rest stated that they did not know.

- 93.1% state that their family member with visual disabilities walks alone through the different rooms of the house; 31.03% state that they move around the community independently and 58.62% state that they move around the community with help.

- 55.17% declare that their family member is capable of taking care of their personal hygiene, choosing their clothes independently and feeding themselves; Regarding the performance of domestic activities, 34.48% of families declare that they perform them efficiently and 31.03% consider that their family member with visual disabilities relates appropriately with the other members of the family.

- 31.37% of family members report that they have received guidance to develop personal autonomy in their child and 68.62% declare that they have not.

- 60% of those surveyed are worried about the future when their parents are not there, about being abused on the street, the dangers they may face outside the home, the awakening of sexuality in adolescence. Others mentioned marriage, continued studies, as well as achieving independent living skills as concerns.

The interviews carried out with students with visual disabilities from the EBS revealed that they still have little development of skills to carry out activities independently, such as moving, since they sometimes need the help of others because they frequently hit obstacles and have have had accidents, others declare that they do not have full mastery of reading Braille, they have academic difficulties as well as in study habits and techniques, they are not able to carry out domestic activities independently and they express having difficulties relating to the people they They surround them.

With the objective of knowing how teachers guide families to contribute to the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities who attend the EBS and the preparation they have for this, interviews were conducted with 12 teachers who work in the institutions. educational centers of La Unión Nariño and San Pedro de Cartago.

The results were: the majority of teachers consider that families do not create the necessary living conditions to enhance the emotional development of their family members with visual disabilities, they tend to treat them with pity and the responsibility of the person with visual disabilities almost always falls on the mother; They are overwhelmed by the demands on time and attention that their attention demands.

None of the teachers have received training to carry out the work of guiding the population under study, they state that they do not have sufficient preparation to guide the families of students with visual disabilities in the development of their personal autonomy and they claim not to be specialists in Education. Special, nor have knowledge about visual impairment.

Based on the previous findings, through a process of methodological triangulation, it was possible to identify regularities in the development of family orientation for the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities of the EBS; They are:

- Recognition by teachers and families of the need to be guided in the development of personal autonomy of students with visual disabilities and to seek innovative ways and alternatives to carry out this process.

- Willingness of families of students with visual disabilities to participate in orientation activities where content related to personal autonomy is addressed.

- Teachers have limitations in relation to the family guidance process for the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities; This task falls only to support professionals.

- Students with visual disabilities have little development of their personal autonomy in relation to: moving independently, carrying out activities of daily living, establishing interpersonal relationships with family members and in the community, development of social skills; All of this, in turn, contributes to them having low self-esteem.

- Families have limitations in contributing to the development of personal autonomy in their family member with visual disabilities and have not been sufficiently guided to do so; they have only participated in mother and father schools where issues related to the academic performance of their children have essentially been addressed. children.

- The relationships between members of the family system are not adequate, there are attitudes of overprotection, covert rejection, lack of communication and low expectations in relation to the future of the student with visual disabilities, which has a negative impact on the development of their personal autonomy.

The results obtained condition the need to develop a family guidance system whose general objective is: to guide the families of students with visual disabilities who attend the EBS, so that they contribute to the development of their personal autonomy.

From the research methodology, Valle (2012) recognizes that in a system each component element fulfills a particular function and contributes, from its individuality, to the fulfillment of a highest-level aspiration, or what is equal to the objective of the system.

When understanding the term system as a scientific result, it is necessary to consider through which processes its implementation will be carried out. From the conceptual basis of Pedagogical Sciences and the educational needs present in families with children who have visual disabilities, it is pertinent to implement a family guidance system.

The authors of this research adhere to the criterion that family counseling is a process because it contemplates different moments that obey a previous diagnosis and characterization, a sequence of meetings scheduled for the development of certain activities and an evaluation of the processes, in order that, in an interrelated manner, they are unified in a system that must have the purpose of guiding the members of the family nucleus to create a climate of systemic interaction that makes use of specific resources and techniques.

Therefore, it professionally requires a counselor to guide the work in attention to the individual and group differences of the family, as it is valid for all the subjects that make up the family system, given their conditions (Medranda and Romero, 2018 ; Muñoz Pinto and Torres, 2021).

For their part, the subsystems ensure a logical and harmonious relationship by establishing their development based on the results obtained in the initial diagnosis, where the real situation of the orientation process for the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities is revealed. the EBS and where the demands of society and the Colombian educational system are taken into account.

The articulation of the subsystems allows the relationships of subordination and cooperation with family guidance activities to be revealed. These subsystems are called: basic, enrichment and consolidation.

Basic subsystem: all families of students with visual disabilities begin in this subsystem, taking into account the diagnosis made. It corresponds to the first level of family guidance, which is educational and has the purpose of providing adequate means to families so that can contribute to the development of personal autonomy in their family members with visual disabilities. The following ways are implemented in it: family forums and workshops.

The purpose of the forums is to enhance systemic awareness in the family, so that it is possible to begin the orientation process from a more objective, clear and mainly positive perspective.

They address topics related to: the Braille system, orientation and mobility techniques, and sensory stimulation.

In relation to the planning of the family workshops, these are organized in a concatenated and procedural manner that is carried out in the different sessions that are carried out, in which the collaboration of other specialists may be requested. During its application, the experiences, common and particular needs of the participating population must be taken into account. The following topics are proposed: teaching the Braille system as a writing and reading tool for students with visual disabilities, orientation and mobility techniques, as well as sensory stimulation.

In the enrichment subsystem, families have attended the previous one and have developed certain skills that allow them to contribute efficiently to the development of the personal autonomy of the student with visual disabilities who attends the EBS; therefore, the meetings are scheduled as sessions of meeting of all families as avenues of action that allow exchange and support. This subsystem integrates the second level of guidance, which is counseling, and responds to the need to enhance the basic capabilities of the family system to adapt them to the needs of each one, just as in the previous subsystem all members are included, not only mothers and fathers.

The following are used as ways to work with families: individual counseling, workshops with siblings, and home visits.

Regarding individual orientation, it is identified that this has different objectives, given that it responds to the uncertainties or particular needs that may arise from the interventions carried out in the basic subsystem; therefore, it can be attended to through individual conversation as a method of application of this route in response to the difficulties still present after the activities proposed in the basic subsystem.

In relation to the workshops for siblings, they are essentially focused on developing sensitivity towards the disabled sibling in terms of help; that is, enhance empathic skills that allow them to be more attentive and supportive of the situation of their brother with visual disabilities, provide him with help when he needs it and, mainly, guide him how he can do a certain action or activity so that contribute to the development of their personal autonomy.

For its part, home visits project the development of participatory exchanges between parents, their children and other family members, so that the context of life at home can be observed and assessments made about its influence on learning and the development of personal autonomy of schoolchildren.

In this way, activities related to orientation and mobility techniques, daily living skills and social skills are guided with a practical and personalized approach; Therefore, the knowledge already expressed in this section can be used, particularly in the space and natural environment of the child with visual disabilities, where his development and independence must be greater. It also focuses on problems that threaten the harmony of the family system; Therefore, it is done individually with the family that requires it.

When moving to the consolidation subsystem, the families of students with visual disabilities have gone through the previous subsystems, which implies that they have received satisfactory training in the orientation content related to the development of personal autonomy. It manifests itself in family meeting sessions to share the experiences lived in the process and forums for families of students with DV.

In this subsystem it is very positive to encourage families to hold meetings and meetings to share experiences and support each other, since knowing the experiences of other families with similar problems helps to organize and generate other resources to achieve greater adaptation to the situation.

It is necessary to highlight that the nature of the system enables interaction, feedback and projection of actions towards families, as they are the ones who receive the content in each of the subsystems. The foundations of the family counseling process and the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities as content of family counseling serve as a framework for the establishment of internal relationships in the system that is conceived. This relationship is specified through decision-making between the facilitator and the families about how and what avenues to use to satisfy expressed guidance needs.

The evaluation of the system is carried out in a systematic and participatory manner, so as to demonstrate the guidance received by families to contribute to the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities. To this end, the following actions are carried out: observation of families in each of the family orientation activities, systematic updating of the level they reach to contribute to the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities, and evaluation of the progress achieved in the students. with visual disabilities regarding their personal autonomy.

The control and monitoring of the results of the implementation process of the orientation activities will be carried out; Once the sessions have concluded, the researcher will carry out an analysis of the results obtained in their work with families, whether positive or negative; To do this, they will be asked for opinions in relation to the activities offered.

This stage is of great importance, since thanks to it it is possible to verify the level of effectiveness with which work has been done and the treatment that has been given to the different situations that arose in the different meetings.

Each of the ways used in family counseling contains a systematic evaluation, which facilitates the integration and final assessment of the results obtained in the system.

In the study carried out and which resulted in the proposal of a family guidance system for the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities of the EBS, the criteria of Cedeño & Zambrano (2020) were taken into account, who declare that for For education professionals, it is very important to be clear that family counseling exists a vast and complex field, which when deepened, strengthens the socio-educational part and generates, in turn, a significant social impact.

Based on these approaches, there is a need to continue delving into the studies referring to the family guidance process that have been developed around the education of students with visual disabilities, with the aim of obtaining greater theoretical and practical clarity for develop effective orientation processes.

In Colombia, as recognized by Duarte et al. (2019), the State is ensuring to carry out assertive actions in favor of vulnerable populations, promoting social, labor, cultural and educational inclusion policies; However, even the accompaniment of support professionals to students with visual disabilities and their families is not systematic, which is why the orientation processes are not efficient and do not respond to their educational needs, especially the development of autonomy. personal, considered as a human capacity that implies a learning process and that in the case of students with visual disabilities becomes essential to achieve their social inclusion.

In this sense, it is necessary that the educational institution guide the family so that they can implement the various types of support measures and resources that the student requires to learn and participate with equal opportunities, so that the difficulties they present can be minimized. and achieve the maximum development of their personal autonomy.

From this perspective, and taking into account the conceptual analysis carried out from different theorists, both internationally and nationally, the study of the legal provisions proposed in Colombia and the regularities derived from the empirical study, contradictions are recognized between what was stated in the current regulations on the need to guide families so that they contribute to the development of the personal autonomy of the student with visual disabilities of the EBS, as well as in the lack of articulation of the educational and counseling levels in the family guidance process from the educational institution.

The partial analysis of the results, after applying the family guidance system, showed positive elements that show the transformation of families in the development of personal autonomy in EBS students with visual disabilities. It is considered that its application is valid for family orientation.

Based on the systemic nature of the guidance, the main results are: greater interaction between the members of the family system; systematicity and high level of assistance in family members; participation and disposition of parents and family members with greater needs; The interaction and constant exchange between the researcher and the families was favored, which was not limited to the convened meeting spaces, informal conversations were encouraged and communication via WhatsApp was used ; The families achieved compliance with the activities and recommendations that were oriented towards the development of the potential of students with visual disabilities and their personal autonomy and they expressed satisfaction with the workshops and activities carried out with expressions such as: "in these meetings there has been a great feeling of unity and solidarity has grown among all of us who have participated", "we feel very united by a cause, which is the development and well-being of our children and our families", "the home visits allowed us to talk in confidence , teachers or psychologists had never come to visit us", "involving other members of the home and especially the siblings was something wonderful."

Regarding the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities, greater abilities are appreciated for: orientation and mobility in space, carrying out errands and purchases, moving around the community independently, interacting with people around them, communication with family members, adequate security and self-esteem, independent decision-making, participation in debates and group activities, both in the educational institution and in their community.

However, and despite the results obtained, it is considered necessary to continue deepening the theoretical-methodological studies related to family guidance in students with visual disabilities, as well as identifying new needs in families, which allow teachers and specialists to develop processes of family orientation that lead to the development of personal autonomy in students with visual disabilities in a timely and effective manner.

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The authors participated in the design, analysis of the documents and writing of the work.