Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy and their Living Networks: toward a relational analysis of care

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the living networks of three teenagers living with cerebral palsy. Its methodology was built on life stories articulated by the technical understanding of users-guide. The three teenage guides generated 14 interviews that were analyzed and interpreted bason the perspective of relational analysis. The results indicate, by the lens of adolescents and their families, what factors increase networks and weaken them in relation to each life story, taken as emblematic situations. Poverty, weakened family networks, geographic distance, and creative support act in this context, indicating that networks and connections are important for care. We criticize the term “cerebral palsy” as a statement that rectifies images of loss and lack.