Dados do Trabalho

Título

DIFFICULTIES RELATED TO THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER IN THE SUS NETWORK IN SALVADOR-BA

Introdução

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that encompasses difficulties in social communication/social interaction and the presence of stereotyped and repetitive behaviors, associated or not with sensory changes. The diagnosis is based on clinical criteria and has been updated in recent years. The most recent scientific data indicate that the prevalence of ASD has grown a lot and in the United States, it is estimated that 1 in 30 children are autistic. In Brazil, there are still no reliable data, but epidemiological studies bring the probability that there are about 2 million autistic people across the country. One of the factors that contribute to the imprecision of epidemiological data is related to early access to diagnosis. Especially in Public Health, finding qualified professionals to perform the diagnosis is a difficult task. The early diagnosis makes it easier for autistic children to receive the appropriate treatment as early as possible, improving the prognosis.

Objetivo

To know the main difficulties in relation to the diagnosis and treatment of autistic children in relation to the public services offered by the Unified Health System (SUS) network.

Métodos

An online questionnaire was used with objective questions about the diagnosis and treatment of families of autistic children attended at a reference center of the SUS network, in the city of Salvador, Bahia, in April 2022.

Resultados

In all, 119 families responded to the questionnaire. Of these, 55.5% took more than one year between the referral and the consultation with the neuropediatrician. The definitive report with the diagnosis was only achieved after one year of the first consultation with the neuropediatrician for 50% of the families. After the definitive diagnosis, access to therapies by the SUS was only achieved after one year for 42% of the families. Of the families that obtained some therapy through the SUS, 41.2% had access to a speech therapist at most once a week, 26.7% had access to a psychologist and only 19.3% had access to an occupational therapist at most once a week.

Conclusões

The process of diagnosis and initiation of treatment for autistic children dependent on the SUS Network is still very time consuming. This fact can harm their development, worsening their functional prognoses, since windows of neurological opportunities are lost over time.

Palavras chave

Autism Spectrum Disorder; diagnosis; treatment

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