Introduction:

The family's transit through the stages of the life cycle has events that boost family functionality, having a child diagnosed with intellectual disability breaks the dynamic.

Objective:

To diagnose the health of the family member where an intellectual disabled person belonging to the Special School "José Antonio Echavarría" of the Guantánamo municipality lives.

Method:

A descriptive study of a quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out in 45 families of the “José Antonio Echavarría” Special School of the Guantánamo municipality. The theoretical-methodological model of family health evaluation was used, which included as evaluation instruments, the proof of perception of family functioning, inventory of family risk characteristics and the family matrix.

Results:

According to the ontogenesis of the families, the ones extended by 65.3% predominated, by the composition and structure, the medium ones, and by the number of three-generational generations, for 45.36%. The paranormative crises were present in 66.6% of the families when presenting dismemberment, 39.8% due to demoralization, only 4.4% of the families were functional. According to family risk characteristics, the variables that prevailed most were critical regulatory processes with 95.5%, critical health processes and paranormal regulatory processes for 100%. The crossing of the results gave rise to the family health matrix.

Conclusions:

It was revealed that the presence of a disabled child is more frequent in dysfunctional families, which more commonly do not fulfill their functions.

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