Examining the impact and implementation of the ENabling VISions And Growing Expectations (ENVISAGE) program in Croatia: a discourse analysis pilot study.

PURPOSE

To explore the impact of the online ENVISAGE program for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) on parents' perception of , their , and their , as well as to explore experiences of participating in the program in Croatia.

METHODS

In this before-after discourse analysis study, participants took part in the five-week ENVISAGE program. There were two semi-structured interviews for each participant: within one month before and after participating in the program. The proportions of positive, neutral, and negative sentences about , their , and their from two interviews were compared on an individual and group level. The perceived changes and experiences with the program were also analyzed qualitatively.

RESULTS

Data from thirteen participants were included. From the three pre-determined discourse categories (self, child, and family), most changes were observed in parents' perception of (average increase in positive views of 8.8% and decrease in negative of 5.3%). Qualitative results showed multiple positive self-perceived impacts on parents' lives. Participants' experiences with ENVISAGE were consistently positive; all believed they benefited from the program.

CONCLUSIONS

The results support our assumption that participation in ENVISAGE positively affects multiple areas of life, particularly parents' views of themself.