THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM: CURRENT EVIDENCE AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by an atypical development whose main changes are related to impaired communication and social interaction, which, in turn, are associated with restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior. Because it is a disorder for which there is no cure, several therapeutic approaches are used to assist in the development of children's social and communication skills, in addition to minimizing repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. With this in mind, the main objective of this integrative review is to gather the most recent studies regarding the therapeutic approaches currently recommended for the treatment of children with ASD, as well as to evaluate the current evidence and future perspectives in relation to such approaches, since, based on this knowledge, it is possible to implement effective treatments that improve the quality of life of these children and their families. In order to evaluate this phenomenon, the authors searched for terms consistent with the subject in question on the platform USA National Library of Medicine (PubMed) considering the articles published in the last 5 years. The articles found then went through the selection and eligibility stages, with 17 articles being selected for the research. The results demonstrated the existence of several therapeutic approaches that can be beneficial for autistic children, suggesting that alternative therapies, such as music therapy, Occupational Therapy, Animal Assisted Therapy, acupuncture, among others, were associated with improvements in the development of essential skills, such as social and communication. In addition to the aforementioned therapies, other therapeutic approaches have shown promise, such as fecal microbiota transplantation, personalized diets, Sensory Integration training, transcranial direct current stimulation and autologous intrathecal transplantation of bone marrow mononuclear cells associated with neurorehabilitation. As for the future perspectives for therapeutic approaches in autistic children, some of the articles point to the need for additional studies that support the effectiveness of the currently proposed therapeutic approaches, while other studies point to the importance of personalizing treatment, taking into consideration, the individual needs of every child. Thus, the future perspectives of therapeutic approaches in autistic children include the improvement of previous approaches, personalization of treatment and the development of new therapeutic approaches.