Remarques sur le vécu affectif de la fratrie de quelques enfants sourds

Abstract

Aim. – The purpose of this study is to identify the level and types of resilience in the brothers and sisters of deaf children. The risk and protective factors, described in the literature, have been counterbalanced and researched for each child. Subjects and methodology. – Five female and one male sibling of several deaf children participated in a semi-structured interview and drew a picture of their family. Drawing allows psychic conflicts, those stemming from living with a handicapped brother or sister, to materialize. The interview presents a set of well-known themes, which are considered risk factors (the different types of relationships with a handicapped child, the handicap itself, the family and the handicap and so on) and aims at identifying the experiences of each child. Results and conclusion. – It appears that family cohesion is an essential protective factor. Family cohesion also contributes to other qualities such as self-esteem and good relationships between brothers and sisters. Defence mechanisms such as denial or splitting also play important roles. Children do not show all the same risk factors; they also deal with adversity differently. Despite the weak number of studied children, it emerges that the resilience, that each child demonstrated, is due to the assemblage of its factors, its composition and how it's expressed.