Design de produto na intervenção terapêutica: desenvolvimento de requisitos e parâmetros para brinquedo sensorial para crianças com paralisia cerebral

Abstract

Since the earliest years of life, topics related to autonomy, the power of choice in daily life, and influence in the social environment are intrinsic parts of a child's comprehensive development. However, children with physical disabilities are often not favored by targeted studies aimed at improving their deprivation of social and sensory experiences, beyond their physical challenges. Children with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, upon diagnosis, typically undergo a series of cognitive and motor therapies supervised by occupational therapy and physiotherapy professionals. This often leads to a distance between the family and the overall responsibility for the socialization and interaction with the child, as these activities are already conducted in therapy. Therefore, this research aims to propose a dialogue between product design and occupational therapy in the therapeutic intervention of children with cerebral palsy through on-site exploratory research, bibliographic study, application of questionnaires, and interviews conducted with occupational therapists, ultimately followed by an analysis of the data collected during the research process. The results of these analyses led to the identification of requirements and parameters necessary for the development of a proposal for intervention in the "play" activity, with the aim of promoting a playful and sensory experience for the child, as well as providing socialization, fundamental aspects for cognitive and motor development. In addressing the deprivation of social and sensory experiences of children with cerebral palsy, it was suggested that the product could be used in therapy and beyond, involving the family and other social circles of the child. Thus, it was concluded that product design, as an interdisciplinary area, is of paramount importance in interventions in the daily lives of less privileged populations.