The daily lives and occupations of Tibetan families who have a child with disabilities

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore and describe the experiences of Tibetan families living in remote villages that have a child with disabilities. Focusing on their specific situations and the influences on their daily occupations, the study provides a deeper understanding of the families' experiences, perceptions, and expressed needs. Two families participated in an ethnographic study. Both participant observation and conversational interviews were used to collect data. A comparative data analysis revealed the following themes: 1) Families' views on disability and care provision: “What we have, we are willing to give”; 2) Families' occupational pressures: “One person needs to be the caregiver all the time”; 3) Families' desires: “That the child can feed and go to the toilet independently”. Implications of the findings for practice in remote areas and cross-cultural contexts are discussed. These findings may help to provide a good foundation for occupational therapy practice in this context.

Key words::

• Activities of daily living (ADL)
• culture
• ethnography
• Himalayas
• occupational therapy
• remote area

Notes

1. A preventative health survey was carried out by the NPO in the years 2003 to 2006.

2. Revised declaration from 1983.

3. The doctor was a Tibetan woman, educated in the Chinese system, fluent in written and spoken English.

4. The grandfather was also an authority in the village.

5. Due to Buddhist beliefs, outside influence can bring bad karma to a house [20].

6. Spoken and written Tibetan was not the same. The written form was mainly used to write Buddhist texts.

7. The Chinese language was their written language, since this was what most of the local people learn at school.

8. Tsampa was typical Tibetan food consisting of barley flour, butter, and tea.

9. This is a Chinese medical method: acupressure, which is quite well known among the local people in the area.

10. In Tibetan people's understanding a person has a fever if an area of the body is warm; there are no thermometers to measure body temperature. The term fever is very common and often heard.

11. Walking around the temple is part of their daily prayers in the Tibetan areas.

12. Buddhist summer festival (solstice).