Avaliação das habilidades motoras grossas em crianças com Transtorno do Espectro Autista: diferenças entre os níveis de suporte

Abstract

Introduction: Alterations in gross motor skills have a direct impact on the functional prognosis and quality of life of children with autism, and these changes may vary according to the level of support required. Objective: To evaluate gross motor skill alterations in children with autism aged 4 to 6 years, aiming to verify their relationship with support levels. Methods: This was an observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study involving 26 children of both sexes, divided into three groups according to age (Group A: 9 children aged 4 years; Group B: 10 children aged 5 years; Group C: 7 children aged 6 years). An identification questionnaire was used, and the support level was obtained from medical records based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Gross motor skills were assessed using the Gross Motor Assessment for Autism (GMA-AUT). Descriptive statistics were used for variable analysis. Results: In all groups analyzed, an increase in the required level of support was associated with a decline in gross motor performance, as reflected by lower GMA-AUT percentiles. It was also observed that the percentiles increased with age for each level of severity. Conclusion: Support levels may influence the gross motor skills of children with autism, and gross motor performance tends to improve with age. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]