Produção de uma cartilha sobre saúde e educação em sexualidade de crianças com transtorno do espectro autista

Abstract

Introduction: The health and sexuality education of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder is a challenging topic, especially due to the scarcity of theoretical bases produced on the subject, reflecting negligence or lack of interest in the topic. This limitation makes the teaching-learning process more complex, both for the children and their families and the professionals involved. Objective: To describe the construction of an informative booklet on health and sexuality education for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Methodology: This is a methodological research for the construction of a teaching material in the form of a digital booklet, in which the chosen approach was theorized from an integrative literature review that includes studies carried out in the period 2013-2023. The steps included: 1. Survey of scientific productions on health and sexuality education of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder; 2. Outlining of the data obtained from the scientific productions of the integrative review; 3. Selection of the type of language and graphic resources to compose the visual identity of the Booklet; 4. Production of the booklet in digital format and 5. Final review of the booklet content. Results: The material was prepared using the Canva® tool (www.canva.com), containing 15 pages organized into pre-textual elements (cover, presentation sheet of the booklet and characters, and summaries), textual elements (content of the thematic units), and post-textual elements (conclusion sheet, acknowledgments, and references), using visual elements from the platform itself and the FlatIcon website. The booklet was organized using, in the textual part, the following thematic units: 1 - Health and intimate hygiene; 2 - Body changes; 3 - Sexual abuse/harassment; 4 - Signs and safety. Discussion: The digital material presents essential themes such as the importance of adequate intimate hygiene, body self-knowledge, the right to refuse uncomfortable situations and the prevention of abuse. The content of the thematic units was structured with fluid and objective verbal and non-verbal visual elements, allowing easy understanding and with a proposal to attract the attention and captivate the reader. Conclusion: The material produced enables sexuality education by addressing issues such as hygiene and self-care in an accessible way, promoting a healthy understanding of one's own body and social interactions. The flexibility of the digital format allows the booklet to be used in different contexts, expanding access to the content. The booklet also provides children with knowledge and reinforces the importance of sexual education for their physical and emotional well-being.