A PSICOMOTRICIDADE COMO FERRAMENTA TERAPÊUTICA NO TRATAMENTO DO TEA NA PERSPECTIVA DOS PROFISSIONAIS FISIOTERAPEUTAS

ABSTRACT Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects interpersonal, social interaction, and communication. Psychomotricity is essential in the treatment of autistic children, leading to benefits in both motor and behavioral development, and psychomotor therapy can be essential for children with autism. Objective: This study sought to investigate the knowledge applied to psychomotricity by physiotherapists in the treatment of children with autism. Methodology: The research was conducted with physiotherapists, through a cross-sectional and quantitative study, using a Google Forms form with specific questions about knowledge and therapy with the child. Results: The study included 13 physiotherapists, female (76.93%), average age of 26.15 years, and prevalent salary range between R$ 3.000.01 and R$ 5.000.00 reais for (53.86%) of the physiotherapists. Among the physiotherapists (23.07%) they had been working with children with autism for more than three years, and regarding the level of education (38.46%) they had some course or training with a psychomotor approach. For (84.6%) of the physiotherapists, it was part of their intervention routine to assess the psychomotor skills of autistic children, although (53.86%) reported not using standard psychomotor tests. Discussion: The physiotherapist is a facilitator of the psychomotor care of children with autism, favoring adequate care for the demands and updates for the disorder and elevating psychomotor treatment beyond the physical aspect, conducting the intervention in an integrated manner, respecting the multiple dimensions of child development. Conclusion: Thus, this study highlights the need for professionals to obtain continuous and specialized training in psychomotricity to offer adequate care for the demands and updates of disorder for these children. Physiotherapy involves the use of playful, sensory resources, adopting essential motor, cognitive and behavioral adaptation methodologies. Keywords: Autism. Physiotherapy Modalities. Playfulness.