Influência do exercício físico no tempo de engajamento em tarefas acadêmicas de criança com transtorno no espectro do autismo: um estudo de caso

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in communication, social interaction in multiple contexts and the presence of restricted, repetitive and stereotyped behavior patterns. With the increasing inclusion in regular schools, the frequency of children diagnosed with ASD will also be a reality present in the lives of teachers, including physical education. The potential benefits of physical activity (PA) interventions in reducing disruptive and stereotyped behaviors in children diagnosed with ASD have been well studied in the literature, but it can be seen that the use of PA interventions to increase desirable behavior in the classroom regular classes in the same population have been the subject of limited research in the literature. The aim of the study was to identify the influence of an exercise program on the time of engagement in academic activities of children with ASD inserted in the context of inclusive child education. A case study with a qualitative and quantitative approach was carried out in order to try to understand the interference of a physical exercise program in the variable time of engagement in academic tasks of a single child with ASD. A child, aged 3 years and 11 months, male, with a diagnosis of closed ASD, moderate level, enrolled in early childhood education and with specialized and educational assistance in a regular classroom of a municipal public school in the city of Maceió-Alagoas was selected. The data collection procedures were structured in four phases. The statistical analysis was descriptive, of absolute and relative frequency, 95% confidence interval, mean, standard deviation (SD), minimum and maximum. The results demonstrated a positive effect of the physical exercise intervention program (PEFaut) in increasing the time of engagement of the child with ASD in academic tasks in early childhood education: a) building a ball with modeling clay, b) scratching or doodling with chalk wax on an A4 sheet and c) glue paper balls onto A4 sheet. From the results, it can be concluded that the intervention model, based on coordination, strength and balance exercises (PEFaut) seems promising for increasing the time of engagement of the pre-school child with ASD when applied as a background to the tasks academic.