CORRELAÇÃO DO ESQUEMA CORPORAL E EQUILÍBRIO EM CRIANÇAS COM TRANSTORNO DO ESPECTRO AUTISTA (TEA) DE 6 A 12 ANOS

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by a set of disorders that manifest early in neurodevelopment, resulting in several deficits mainly related to social interaction and communication, with the first symptoms manifesting since childhood. The various manifestations inherent to the disorder can directly affect its relationship with body awareness, occurring due to motor experiences essential for a progressive construction of cognitive structures. Objective: To investigate the correlation between body schema and balance in children with ASD aged 6 to 12 years. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional, quantitative field study carried out at the Institute of Rehabilitation and Neurological Organization of Pará (IONPA) in children aged 6 to 12 years, with mild to moderate degree according to the Childhood Autism Scoring Scale (CARS), in addition to the Motor Development Scale developed by Rosa Neto (2015) and Pediatric Balance Scale (PES), based on the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). The Shapiro-Wilk test was used, followed by descriptive analysis and Spearman’s correlation test (p≤0.05). Results: The study analyzed 12 children with ASD living in the metropolitan region of Belém (PA), with a predominance of males, of brown ethnicity, studying between the 2nd and 6th grade of elementary school. Family income was less than one minimum wage (58.3%), with an average diagnosis at 4.33 years and the beginning of therapies at 5.25 years. Flapping was the most common stereotypy (66.6%). There were no significant deficits in range of motion, muscle tone or strength. Three children had impaired sleep quality and a decreased pain threshold in 75% of the sample. There was no correlation between body schema and balance (p = 0.770). Final considerations: The socioeconomic profile of the children studied was traced and the presence of motor aspects frequently associated with ASD was verified. There was no correlation between body schema and balance, which may be associated with the small sample size and the heterogeneity of the sample. Thus, there is a need for research with a larger sample to evaluate the variables.