A importância da vivência dos afectos no desenvolvimento de jovens com Trissomia 21

Abstract

This study aims to understand to what extent, young people T21 are familiar with their sexuality, their perception about their sexuality and what it may represent in their social and educational experiences. Adolescence is a difficult period in any young, full of challenges for themselves and for their family. It is at this stage that changes occur in your body and sexual desire begins to emerge. Young people have difficulty understanding the impulses that go feeling as lack of maturity yet allows them to understand what is happening to them. We talk about young people, since patients with T21 have similar behavior to young called normal. It is in this complex developmental process that parents and coaches, play an important role for the integration, to clarify questions that arise, for building a climate of sharing and emotions about sexuality. Needs arise affection, contact with others and the assumption of core values for a healthy living from their sexuality, masturbation in this adolescence. This study examined the importance of the experience of affection for young people with T21, using the interviews to themselves, the parents and coaches, psychologists, special education teachers and a class diretor. Analysis of the data has demonstrated the knowledge that young people have of themselves, what they mean by sexuality and the use of contraceptive methods, enabling an analysis of its maturity and importance of sexuality in its development.

Date of Award	19 Feb 2013
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Sofia Campos (Supervisor) & João Esteves Salgueiro (Co-Supervisor)