Abstract
M.Ed. (Educational Psychology)
Research literature regarding functional enuresis indicates that the prevalence of functional
enuresis is higher in institutionalised children as opposed to non-institutionalised
children. A preliminary survey conducted at the Abraham Kriel Children's Home revealed
that approximately 10% of the children experience problems with enuresis.
One of the childrens' personal files was studied. From this it appeared that although on a
number of occasions there were therapeutic interventions, the girl still experiences problems
with enuresis. To enable better understanding of this phenomenon it was decided
to obtain a holistic image of the girl's construction of meaning, and, by so doing, establish
whether the therapeutic interventions addressed and tackled the crux of the problem.
To achieve this goal (which is exploratory and descriptive in nature, with a contextual
concern), a qualitative single case study was used as the chosen research format.
In this research a developmental exploration of the girl's world of meaning was performed.
By means of a holistic analysis her life history was analysed in the light of Erik Erikson's
developmental theory. Developmental tasks and needs that are characteristic of each life
phase were identified. On the basis of this the girl's circumstances were examined in
order to determine her possible self meaning. By means of a play diagnostic investigation
an analysis was made of the way in which she presently perceives herself and the world...