Child with autistic spectrum disorder: care from the family

Experiences of families with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in World Health Organization Afro-Regions: A scoping review

A scoping review on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and its impact on the families of affected children was undertaken due to insufficient information available on the diverse experiences impacting their lives. Using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, eligibility criteria were guided by Population (families), Concept (family experiences), and Context (African region). English-language articles were sought from a variety of databases and search engines. The publication date of the identified articles ranged from 2003 to 2021 with most published in 2020 (n = 10), and the majority using qualitative methodologies (n = 51). Most family members involved were parents (n = 51) and their ages ranged from 18 to 75 years. The families experienced various challenges related to their child with regard to education, healthcare, and the broader community including lack of support. Family coping strategies included believing in God, attending counseling sessions, adapting, and accepting the situation. Healthcare professionals should be prepared and positioned to educate families and siblings on various aspects of ASD. There is a need for active, continued research on families within most countries of World Health Organization Afro-region.

Experiences of Family Members of Children with Autism

Introduction:

Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by the change in the behavior-interaction-communication, with different levels of impairment.

Objectives:

This study aims to describe the experiences of family members of children with autism and discuss strategies to improve the quality of life of family members.

Methods:

A descriptive, exploratory study with a qualitative approach was carried out in a self-help association for autism, located in the city of Teresina/PI, Brazil. Data collection took place in September and October 2019 through the application of a semi-structured interview. Eighteen (18) family members of children with autism in the Association of Friends of Autistic Individuals (AMA) participated in the study. Bardin’s content analysis was the technique used for data analysis.

Results:

The results showed experiences of negative feelings on the part of family members who lived with autistic children, such as frustration and pain, but also positive feelings of affection and dedication and state of neutrality. The daily life of family members involved the experience of difficulties due to the care of the autistic children, in addition to the lack of information regarding different cases of autism. Therefore, it is necessary to include family members and children in support networks with the objective of making them a part of society with the help of the multidisciplinary team.

Conclusion:

The present research showed that the experiences of family members of children with autism are difficult at first, but with daily learning and interaction, they become rewarding. The study also reinforces the importance of team in the care of autistic children and highlighted the relevance of improving the family’s quality of life, which can also reflect on the quality of care of that individual.

Experiences of family members of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder

OBJECTIVE

To describe, in the mothers' perception, the experiences lived by families in the care of children with autism spectrum disorder.

METHOD

Qualitative study, carried out with 20 mothers of children diagnosed with autistic disorder accompanied by an institution in Teresina-Piauí, Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between February and March 2019 and subjected to content analysis.

RESULTS

Five central ideas related to the stages experienced by family members after the diagnosis were identified, ranging from denial to acceptance. Family members and caregivers experience feelings of sadness and mourning for the discovery of the impossibility of curing the syndrome, revealing the need for care for this family. The search for help and adaptations of the routine are constant experiences.

CONCLUSION

Caring for children who live with autistic disorder involves learning ranging from structural to emotional aspects, such as dealing with limitations and impossibility of cure, pointing out to the need for family care.

Discursos de Familiares acerca da Sexualidade de Sujeitos Autistas

Os diagnósticos de transtorno do espectro autista aumentaram consideravelmente nos últimos anos e, não raro, sujeitos autistas são considerados por seus familiares como sexualmente infantilizados ou descontrolados – fato este questionado pela psicanálise. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar discursos de familiares sobre a sexualidade de sujeitos autistas. Participaram desta pesquisa dezesseis entrevistados (dois sujeitos autistas, oito mães, três pais, dois irmãos e um avô de sujeitos autistas) todos inseridos em formatos familiares nucleares cujos relatos foram organizados a partir de uma análise de conteúdo temática e analisados a partir da teoria dos quatro discursos de Lacan. Os principais temas e discursos produzidos pelos participantes foram organizados em eixos temáticos que destacaram: as dúvidas e questionamentos justificados pelos descompassos entre o desenvolvimento psicológico, físico e sexual dos sujeitos autistas; a suposição da imaturidade biológica e das inadequações atitudinais dos sujeitos autistas nas questões sexuais; o reforço dos papéis tradicionais de gênero, delegando às mães os cuidados íntimos dos filhos autistas e delegando aos pais o estímulo pela virilidade dos sujeitos autistas do sexo masculino; mas também – principalmente por parte dos irmãos – a possibilidade de os sujeitos autistas vivenciarem suas sexualidades de maneira autônoma, mesmo que referenciados nos esquemas neurotípicos e heterossexuais. Neste sentido, as tensões entre os discursos do mestre e discurso universitário (que pretendem o controle) e o discurso da psicanálise (que aposta na autonomia/singularidade dos sujeitos autistas no campo da sexualidade) se mostraram os mais evidentes nas entrevistas. Por fim, a teoria lacaniana dos quatro discursos se mostrou propicia para compreender a constituição dos laços sociais que organizam as vivências sexuais dos sujeitos autistas.

Necessary Information for the Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Integrative Review

Objective: To identify the available evidence on the necessary information for the families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Method: An integrative literature review carried out in six databases with specific descriptors for each one. Studies published on the theme between January 2014 and February 2020 available in full and free of charge were selected. For synthesis and analysis of data, thematic categorization was performed. 41 articles were included. Results: Two thematic categories were obtained. In the first category (“need for information”), the families’ lack of knowledge about ASD (treatment, how to deal with the child’s behavior, and future perspectives), rights of the child with ASD, and resources to obtain information were identified. The second category (“information support sources accessed by the families”) comprised informal sources (family members, friends, neighbors, and parents of children with ASD), formal sources (professionals and institutions), the Internet, and other resources (books, workshops, podcasts). Positive and negative aspects were found in the use of these sources. Conclusions: A pattern of information requested by the family was verified, as well as sources used to obtain it. These data are relevant to support the organization of sources of informational support for the families and the community.