Autismo: o desafio do diagnóstico precoce
Miniatura indisponível
Ficheiros
Data
2014
Autores
Título da revista
ISSN da revista
Título do Volume
Editora
Resumo
O autismo é uma síndrome que afeta o desenvolvimento social e comportamental de crianças e que se tem tornado comum nas últimas duas décadas. Por existirem diversos graus e variâncias, a síndrome é hoje vista como um espetro, sendo o seu diagnóstico complexo e multidisciplinar, sendo que os primeiros sintomas aparecem antes dos três anos de idade e prolongam-se por toda a vida.
Uma das dificuldades inerentes ao diagnóstico do autismo diz respeito ao facto de muitas das caraterísticas apresentadas por crianças autistas não serem exclusivas do autismo, podendo ser encontradas noutros transtornos do desenvolvimento, tais como a deficiência mental e os transtornos de aprendizagem ou da linguagem.
O DSM-IV (Manual de Diagnóstico e Estatística das Perturbações Mentais; 4.ª edição) refere que, apesar de esta perturbação começar a notar-se entre os 18 e os 36 meses, a maioria das vezes não é diagnosticada até aos cinco anos de idade, o que nos mostra a existência de uma falha, no que diz respeito ao diagnóstico precoce.
O diagnóstico precoce é o melhor procedimento para o desenvolvimento da criança autista, sendo o diagnóstico durante os anos pré-escolares ainda muito raro, o que se deve, em parte, à falta de conhecimento sobre o desenvolvimento normal de uma criança, particularmente ao nível da comunicação não-verbal. O diagnóstico precoce, além de permitir a intervenção rápida de uma equipa terapêutica junto da criança que apresenta indicativos do espetro autista, permite ajudar os pais a compreender a natureza do problema dos seus filhos e oferece ferramentas para enfrentar dificuldades que poderão surgir com o passar do tempo. De facto, a evolução destas crianças depende largamente de uma deteção atempada de sinais e sintomas que permitam a implementação precoce de um tratamento, além de depender da gravidade da perturbação e dos meios de intervenção de que dispomos.
Existem algumas alterações mais significativas do desenvolvimento infantil que podem servir como sinais de risco precoce para o autismo, que se referem principalmente à carência do sorriso social, do contato visual, das vocalizações, da imitação neonatal, do contato físico e da postura antecipatória.
Autism is a syndrome that affects the social and behavioral development of children and that has become frequent in the last two decades. Because of its several degrees and variances, the syndrome is now seen more as a spectrum, with a complex and multidisciplinary diagnosis, presenting the first symptoms before the age of three and extending throughout life. One of the inherent difficulties in the diagnosis of autism is the fact that the characteristics displayed by autistic children are not unique to autism, and can be found in many other developmental disorders such as mental retardation, learning disorders and language. The DSM-IV states that in spite of autism showing it‟s symptoms between 18 and 36 months of age, it is common that the disease is not diagnosed until the age of five, reveling the existence of a fault regarding early diagnosis. Early diagnosis is the best procedure for the development of autistic children, and that diagnosis is still very rare during the preschool years, which is, in part, due to the lack of knowledge about the normal development of a child, particularly in terms of nonverbal communication. Early diagnosis not only allows an early intervention in a child manifesting symptoms typical of the autistic spectrum, but also helps parents understand the nature of the problem of their children and provide tools to deal with problems that may arise as the children grows. In addition to depending on the severity of the disturbance and the means of intervention that we have, the progress of these children depends largely on timely detection of signs and symptoms that allow for an early implementation of treatment. There are some significant changes in child development that can serve as early signs of risk for autism, and refer mainly to the lack of social smile, eye contact, vocalizations, neonatal imitation, the physical contact and anticipatory posture.
Autism is a syndrome that affects the social and behavioral development of children and that has become frequent in the last two decades. Because of its several degrees and variances, the syndrome is now seen more as a spectrum, with a complex and multidisciplinary diagnosis, presenting the first symptoms before the age of three and extending throughout life. One of the inherent difficulties in the diagnosis of autism is the fact that the characteristics displayed by autistic children are not unique to autism, and can be found in many other developmental disorders such as mental retardation, learning disorders and language. The DSM-IV states that in spite of autism showing it‟s symptoms between 18 and 36 months of age, it is common that the disease is not diagnosed until the age of five, reveling the existence of a fault regarding early diagnosis. Early diagnosis is the best procedure for the development of autistic children, and that diagnosis is still very rare during the preschool years, which is, in part, due to the lack of knowledge about the normal development of a child, particularly in terms of nonverbal communication. Early diagnosis not only allows an early intervention in a child manifesting symptoms typical of the autistic spectrum, but also helps parents understand the nature of the problem of their children and provide tools to deal with problems that may arise as the children grows. In addition to depending on the severity of the disturbance and the means of intervention that we have, the progress of these children depends largely on timely detection of signs and symptoms that allow for an early implementation of treatment. There are some significant changes in child development that can serve as early signs of risk for autism, and refer mainly to the lack of social smile, eye contact, vocalizations, neonatal imitation, the physical contact and anticipatory posture.
Descrição
Orientação: José Brites
Palavras-chave
MESTRADO EM PSICOLOGIA, ACONSELHAMENTO E PSICOTERAPIAS, PSICOLOGIA, AUTISMO, DIAGNÓSTICOS, PSYCHOLOGY, AUTISM, DIAGNOSES