TRANSTORNO DO ESPECTRO AUTISTA NA FAMÍLIA: DESAFIOS E IMPACTOS PSICOLÓGICOS PÓS-DIAGNÓSTICO

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes impairment in communication, social interaction and behavior of an individual. However, the impacts of this disorder are not only to people on the autism spectrum, and can significantly affect the lives of their families and caregivers. For the family, the moment of receiving the diagnosis is often characterized by emotions such as fear, uncertainty and sadness, due to the need to adapt to a new reality and deal with the disorder and its challenges. Therefore, this study aims to investigate, through literature reviews, the changes in the life of these families, the impacts caused by the diagnosis and the challenges faced and possible interventions to help them. For this, the qualitative exploratory research method was used to support the understanding of family experiences related to autism. The data collected from different research sources, such as Scielo, Pepsic and Google Scholar, were organized and categorized according to the themes and aspects relevant to the study. When analyzing the data, it was evident that after the discovery of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) the entire family dynamic may undergo changes, from affective to financial and social. It is extremely important that at the time of diagnosis the professional masters the subject to convey the news in a coherent and humanized way in favor of a better quality of life for these families.