[Children and adolescents with chronic disease: living with changes]

This study concerns descriptive and exploratory, with aimed at apprehending by means of interviews the experiences of children and adolescents with a chronic disease, as it is felt by them. The results show that the lives of children and adolescents are changed by frequent hospitalizations and by the limitations imposed by the disease, which causes alterations particularly in their schooling process. Considering that children and adolescents experience complex feelings and situations in the everyday routine of living with a chronic disease, it is important that health care professionals learn about such needs and incorporate them to care planning, aiming at providing effective intervention in order to promote growth and development.