Fairy tales are a basic way of mediating social, ethic, and cultural values to children. The form of a story is accessible and understandable to children. By their definiteness fairytale characters enable children to understand and differentiate the good and the evil, the right and the wrong, the positive and the negative more easily. Mental handicap influences the whole personality and proves by a lower level of rational abilities and a different way of perception. Nobody has specified so far to what extent fairytale characters influence the development of mentally handicapped children. The aim of my work was to find out whether mentally handicapped children know and perceive fairytale characters and whether they are influenced by them similarly to healthy children. The examined complex included ten children with a medium-severe mental retardation aged 12 {--} 19. The research was carried out by semi {--} structured dialogues with children, their parents, and school workers. I also used a method of structured observation and anylysis of products. All the ten children meet with fairy tales regularly. All children prefer audiovisual forms of fairy tales. The parents of three children stated that they also read fairy tales to their children. The children were able to name 3 {--} 18 fairy tales. They were able to present their favourite characters together with their characteristcs. In nine cases it was a positive character, one child gave a negative character. Eight children could name both positive and negative characters. A typical fairytale character of a devil is understandable better than a character of a water sprite, which is ambiguous for them. In a free drawing fairytale topics occured only sporadically in figural and technical motives. The occurence of fairytale motives in spontaeous children´s play and their conversation was also sporadic. Understanding a fairy tale and fairytale characters is limited with mentally handicapped children. Although audiovisual forms of fairy tales are criticised in literature, for these children they seem to be more accessible. TV interpretation of a fairy tale is more understandable for them. It mediates information for more senses simultaneously and thus it has a bigger chance to capture them.

The purpose of this study was to develop an empowerment model for families of mentally handicapped children in Moletši district in Limpopo Province. To achieve this purpose, the study consisted of four steps, namely exploring the meaning of empowerment in the context of families with mentally handicapped children; developing and describing a model for empowerment of such families; formulating guidelines for the implementation of the model, and evaluating the implementation of the model. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual theory-generative design was used. The population of the study was all families who had mentally handicapped children in Moletši district of the Polokwane and Aganang municipalities. Semi-structured interviews, assessment guides and case studies were conducted with the families to evaluate the effectiveness of the model and whether the families reached self-efficacy in the care, treatment and rehabilitation of their mentally handicapped children. Non-probability, purposive sampling was used in order to obtain relevant information from the correct participants. Concepts were identified and analysed, which led to the development of the model for empowerment of families with mentally handicapped children. The model was applied in practice, where the families’ problems were identified and planned for, and the plans were put into action by means of case studies, and monitoring and evaluation was done through observation, interviews, discussion and meetings.The results revealed that the families proved to be independent and reached self-efficacy in the care, treatment and rehabilitation of their mentally handicapped children. The model is a unique contribution to nursing education, research, administration and practice and sets guidelines for a new field in the practice of psychiatric nursing. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil.

The purpose of this study was to develop an empowerment model for families of mentally handicapped children in Moletši district in Limpopo Province. To achieve this purpose, the study consisted of four steps, namely exploring the meaning of empowerment in the context of families with mentally handicapped children; developing and describing a model for empowerment of such families; formulating guidelines for the implementation of the model, and evaluating the implementation of the model. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual theory-generative design was used. The population of the study was all families who had mentally handicapped children in Moletši district of the Polokwane and Aganang municipalities. Semi-structured interviews, assessment guides and case studies were conducted with the families to evaluate the effectiveness of the model and whether the families reached self-efficacy in the care, treatment and rehabilitation of their mentally handicapped children. Non-probability, purposive sampling was used in order to obtain relevant information from the correct participants. Concepts were identified and analysed, which led to the development of the model for empowerment of families with mentally handicapped children. The model was applied in practice, where the families’ problems were identified and planned for, and the plans were put into action by means of case studies, and monitoring and evaluation was done through observation, interviews, discussion and meetings.The results revealed that the families proved to be independent and reached self-efficacy in the care, treatment and rehabilitation of their mentally handicapped children. The model is a unique contribution to nursing education, research, administration and practice and sets guidelines for a new field in the practice of psychiatric nursing. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil.