Impacto del aislamiento social por COVID-19 en niños y niñas con trastornos del espectro autista y sus familias en la provincia de Misiones / Impact of social isolation by COVID-19 on children with autism spectrum disorders and their families in the province of Misiones

RESUMEN INTRODUCCIÓN El trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) se caracteriza por alteraciones en la comunicación y patrones restrictivos del comportamiento. El Aislamiento Social, Preventivo y Obligatorio (ASPO) en Argentina generó cambios en las dinámicas familiares de personas con TEA. El objetivo del estudio fue describir el impacto del ASPO en el acompañamiento de niños/as con TEA. MÉTODOS Se creó un instrumento específico de diseño mixto, con implementación de encuestas virtuales a familiares de personas con TEA. RESULTADOS Las 66 encuestas obtenidas revelaron ventajas, tales como la posibilidad de compartir tiempo en familia y conocer las necesidades de las/os hijas/os, el establecimiento de un ambiente con estímulos adecuados y ausencia de distractores, y la enseñanza con ritmos de aprendizaje y contenidos ajustados a las necesidades de niños/as con TEA. También se encontraron dificultades para la socialización: surgimiento de comportamientos no adaptativos (crisis, ansiedad, agresividad), barreras en la comunicación entre docentes y familias, imposibilidad de acceder a terapias y obstáculos para acceder a terapias virtuales. DISCUSIÓN El ASPO incidió en la vida cotidiana de las personas con TEA, de manera similar a lo observado en otras latitudes. A partir de lo experimentado durante el ASPO se proponen estrategias contextualizadas a la situación de pandemia actual y a potenciales escenarios similares.

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by alterations in communication and restrictive behavior patterns. The Social, Preventive and Compulsory Isolation in Argentina changed family dynamics of people with ASD. The objective of this study was to describe the impact of isolation on accompanying children with ASD. METHODS A specific instrument of mixed design was created by conducting virtual surveys to relatives of ASD children. RESULTS The 66 surveys included in the study revealed advantages, such as the possibility of sharing family time and recognizing children's needs, environment with adequate stimuli and without distractors as well as teaching according to learning pace and content adjusted to ASD children. They also found difficulties in socialization: emergence of non-adaptive behaviors (crisis, anxiety, aggressiveness), communication barriers between teachers and families, therapy inaccessibility and obstacles to access to online therapies. DISCUSSION The isolation affected ASD people's daily life, similarly as in other countries. Based on the experiences during the isolation, strategies are proposed within the framework of the current pandemic situation and for potential similar scenarios.

Asperger e sua síndrome em 1944 e na atualidade / Asperger and his syndrome in 1944 and today / Asperger et son syndrome en 1944 et aujourd’hui / Asperger y su síndrome en 1944 y en la actualidad

Apresentamos o quadro clínico nomeado Psicopatia autística infantil por Hans Asperger no contexto de sua descoberta, e na atualidade. Relacionamos essa síndrome com o Autismo infantil precoce de Leo Kanner, caracterizado na mesma época. Discutimos a ignorância do trabalho de Asperger pelos pesquisadores até a década de 1980.

We present the clinical picture Hans Asperger named ‘autistic child psychopathy’ in the context of its discovery, a designation which has persisted to date, and relate that syndrome to Leo Kanner’s early infantile autism, which was discovered at the same time. We discuss the way Asperger’s work has remained neglected by researchers until the 1980s.

Nous présentons le tableau clinique nommé psychopathie autistique de l’enfance par Hans Asperger dans le contexte de sa découverte, terme qui s’applique encore aujourd’hui. Nous relions ce syndrome à l’autisme infantile précoce de Leo Kanner, décrit à la même époque et nous discutons le fait que le travail d’Asperger a été largement ignoré par la communauté scientifique jusque dans les années 1980.

Presentamos el cuadro clínico conocido, por Hans Asperger, como psicopatía autista en el niño en el ámbito de su descubrimiento y en la actualidad. Relacionamos este síndrome con el autismo infantil temprano de Leo Kanner, que se caracteriza en la misma época. Se discute la ignorancia de la obra de Asperger por parte de los investigadores hasta la década de 1980.

Representações sociais de professores sobre o autismo infantil / Teachers' social representations on infantile autism

Este trabalho teve o objetivo de investigar, a partir da teoria das representações sociais, as ideias de senso comum que circulam entre professores acerca do autismo infantil. Buscamos compreender a lógica interna de tais teorias populares, mapear os saberes que as apoiam e as imagens que as concretizam. Os 16 participantes do estudo compuseram dois grupos: 9 professoras experientes na educação de crianças autistas e 7 professores sem experiência com tais crianças. Os dados obtidos através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas permitem concluir que paradoxalmente, a aproximação com o objeto não parece conduzir a uma maior familiarização. De maneira geral, há incertezas e fluidez quanto a considerar o autismo uma desordem orgânica ou o resultado de complicações relacionais precoces; em acreditar que essas crianças apresentam inteligência acima da média ou deficiência intelectual. Os professores constroem, assim, autismos diversos, num processo de conhecimento ancorado em variados repertórios, dentre eles, a psicanálise e neurociências.

Based on the social representations theory, this study aims at investigating teachers'commom sense thinking on infantile autism, its anchorage and objectivation. Sixteen teachers participated in this study, divided into two groups: 9 female teachers with experience on working with autistic children and 7 other teachers with no such experience. This article analyzes data obtained from semi-structured interviews. Paradoxically, despite being closer to autistic children, teachers do not become more familiar with them. In general, there is uncertainty and fluidity on considering autism as an organic disease or the result of poor mothering; there are also doubts on believing that these children are gifted or intellectually handicapped. Therefore, teachers create various "autisms", a process which seems to be anchored on different repertoires, from psychoanalysis to neurosciences.