Autism: therapies and colleagues help to overcome crises – 04/04/2023 – Maternar

Financial manager Priscilla Sanches, 40, lost count of how many times she heard that she should be more energetic to contain what they call “tantrums” from her son Davi, 5.

The boy, who has autism, sometimes deregulates and goes through emotional crises. “We are looked at as if we were extraterrestrials, as if I were to blame for that situation, for which there is no one to blame”, says the mother. According to her, prejudice happens even within the family.

Pedagogy student Erika Mariano, 40, is also familiar with this scene. When she breaks down, her daughter Marina, 5, screams, runs, cries and throws herself to the ground. Because of this, a school did not accept to enroll the girl in the past and her family has already stopped being invited to some social events.

Dealing with this type of behavior is one of the great difficulties of parents of autistic children. A 2020 survey by Genial Care, a startup that offers humanized treatment for families with children with autism, showed that 57% of caregivers reported difficulties in knowing what to do or how to deal with this situation.

If, on the one hand, there are disapproving looks or inappropriate advice, there are also those who welcome and respect the child, as Erika reminds us.

Marina studies at a school with a small class and there is support from a therapist at all times. She is fully adapted to the school routine, but sometimes crises occur during classes.

“Her class is very understanding during times when she is disorganized. In addition to understanding that screaming and crying are ways of expressing herself, they also help her regulate herself and try to understand what her needs are at that moment”, affirm.

Erika says that one day her husband had to pick Marina up from school earlier and, when he arrived, he heard their daughter crying. “She was in the cafeteria and her friends around her were doing exercises for her to calm down. One of them told her to breathe and the other caressed her tummy”, she recalls.

“People with ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) have difficulties controlling these behaviors. Precisely for this reason, people mistakenly say they are disobeying or having a tantrum”, explains Carol Rorato, coordinator of ABA (acronym in English for Applied Behavior Analysis) by Genius Care.

“It is important to say that there is a history of each person, so it is only possible to say which is the best alternative to deal with the crisis of each child after an individual assessment”, explains the specialist.

SNACK

Priscilla and Erika also face challenges when it comes to their children’s mealtimes. Davi refuses to eat fruit while Marina refuses to eat anything yellow. The girl also rejects vegetables and greens.

“The child with ASD may not be able to deal with the texture of certain foods, refuse to touch or even smell food”, points out Patrícia Junqueira, speech therapist and director of the Instituto de Desenvolvimento Infantil.

The expert explains that many children within the spectrum can even be disturbed at the time of the family meal. “For others, sitting down at the table and participating in the meal with someone else talking is stressful enough,” she says.

She recommends identifying environmental factors that may be more challenging for the child. “Decreasing ambient noise or not leaving the platter with food too close to the child so that the smell and appearance do not disturb can help”.

Another point is not to insist or force the child to eat. “There should always be something that she already accepts and is already familiar with,” she notes.

THERAPIES

Speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychologists and pedagogues are some of the professionals who should accompany an autistic child.

However, SUS or health plans do not always offer the necessary number of sessions for the child to be able to develop.

Erika had to go to court to get her daughter’s treatment under the health insurance plan. If she were to pay, per month, she would need to shell out around R$55k.

Davi is attended free of charge by the AMA (Association of Friends of the Autistic). At the time when it depended on the agreement, Priscilla says that the boy presented regression in development. Today he undergoes therapies daily and always comes up with a new word, says his mother.

“His development is like a reward for everything I left behind,” says Priscilla. Graduated in four courses in the area of ​​finance, she had to give up her career to dedicate herself fully to caring for her son. “I kept everything in a drawer to dedicate myself to Davi, and today he is my biggest ‘case’ of success”, she says.

EARLY TREATMENT

ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by communication difficulties, social interaction problems, reduced interests, stereotyped and non-functional movements. He has no cure, but early diagnosis allows independence and increases the quality of life and accessibility of these children, thanks to brain neuroplasticity.

According to the WHO, one in every 160 children has an Autism Spectrum Disorder. However, a recent survey by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that one in 36 American children under the age of eight have autism. Two years earlier the rate was one case in every 44.

In general, the disorder settles in the first three years of life and each patient requires a specific and individualized type of follow-up.

According to Bernardo Athayde, a neurologist at Hospital São Francisco (in the Federal District), parents should be aware of the milestones of child development to check for any delays in speech or psychomotor development in children.

The diagnosis of autism should be made clinically through observation of the patient’s behavior and an interview with parents or caregivers.

Athayde also emphasizes the importance of emotional support for caregivers. “There is a lot of wear and tear that can culminate in marital problems. Apart from that, anxiety levels are high and, many times, there is depression due to difficulties in family life”, he explains.

INDICATION OF INSTITUTIONS

LOVE – Friends of the Autistic Association

OPEN IT – Brazilian Association of Autism

National Federation of APAES
www.apaebrasil.org.br