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Resumo

This article examines privacy in the home environments of families who have young children with disabilities. Literature supports the importance of privacy in developing self-identity and autonomy in children with disabilities. Early experiences with privacy help develop a sense of self-esteem and help define the range, limits, and consequences of individual autonomy. Data from parent interviews, surveys, and home observations of 32 families who have children (age 3-10) with disabilities are analyzed. Results describe opportunities for being alone; choice, control, and access in bedrooms; privacy during toileting or bathing; and privacy-promoting modifications. Parents agree that privacy is important; however, it is being restricted by access and control in the environment. A majority of children have some control and opportunity for choice making in their bedrooms. Privacy in the bathroom is most difficult. The findings suggest that parents are cognizant of the need for privacy, but the physical environment of the home stymies opportunities.

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