Brava has five children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The coordinator of the Multidisciplinary Team to Support Inclusive Education (EMAEI) said today that the island currently has five children diagnosed with autism, with others being studied.

Edoneia Tavares was speaking to Inforpress as part of an activity carried out to mark World Autism Day, celebrated on the 2nd, with the aim of raising awareness and alerting society about autism and how to deal with it.

According to the same source, the diagnosis of an autistic child is made by a multidisciplinary team, consisting of a pediatrician, neurologist, speech therapist, psychiatrist and psychologist, and, in Brava, there are five children with this closed diagnosis.

However, it showed that there are others that are still suspect, justifying that these have not yet been evaluated by this team.

Asked if there is any treatment for these children, he said that there is no cure, but explained that there is treatment and that when they are diagnosed with ASD they have to undergo behavioral therapy, since the behavior of these children fluctuates over time and this treatment is done with therapy.

Regarding the activity carried out, he stressed that it was to mark the date, with the aim of informing people about what autism is and making people aware of having less prejudice and more respect for autistic children.

According to this official, many people do not know what autism is, which they consider a mental disorder, whereas in reality it is a condition that a child has.

"Autism is a developmental disorder where children cannot socialize with others, do not have eye contact, do not interact, cannot face people because they have difficulties in the behavior part", he indicated.

And, to speak more comprehensively about all the concepts that encompass autism, Edoneia Teixeira informed that some lectures will be given throughout the month, namely to inform people about the diagnosis and treatment, among other aspects.

Regarding the signs that are taken as an alert to signal and start the diagnostic process of a child, he maintained that, according to studies, the signs of autism are presented from a very early age, at the moment when the child is unable to face the mother in the act of breastfeeding, among others.

Of the participants, Loide Monteiro, mother of an autistic child, praised and praised this initiative, stressing that this is the first time she has seen any activity of this type on Brava and seeing her son playing with other children "there is no comparison",

Likewise, he highlighted that it is a way of alerting society about the importance of including special children in activities.

About the Braveense society and the behavior towards autistic children, or with other special educational needs, he advanced that the Braveense society "has a very closed mentality", defending that it is necessary to change the behavior when faced with these children, because they are children like any other.