Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by changes in movement, communication, social interaction and behavior. These changes can result in motor and functional limitations that harm the physical and mental development of affected children. Pourpose: To investigate the effects of physiotherapeutic intervention on motor, cognitive and behavioral development, analyze physiotherapeutic interventions and describe the effectiveness of physiotherapy in this context. Materials and methods: This is a descriptive literature review with a qualitative approach, with a search in the databases PubMed, SciELO, Google Scholar, Periódicos Capes between 2015 and 2024. Intervention studies in children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD at the level 1 to 3, of both sexes, who received physiotherapeutic treatment, available in full for consultation in scientific databases. Results: 67 articles were identified in the databases, of which eight were selected for detailed analysis. These studies, which involved 91 children and adolescents with ASD, the average age of 8 years, showed that approaches such as rhythmic activities, multimodal physiotherapy and sensory integration improve coordination, socialization and motor skills. The interventions promote advances in speech, attention and balance, highlighting the potential of these practices in the motor and social development of children with ASD. Conclusion: Physiotherapy, when using specific techniques to stimulate motor, cognitive, proprioceptive and socio-affective aspects, showed positive results in the treatment of children and adolescents with ASD, improving motor proficiency, social interaction and the practice of physical activities.
Read full abstract