CLINICAL AND SOCIOCOMMUNICATIVE PROFILES OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN A SPECIALIZED SERVICE

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder, is characterized by persistent impairment in reciprocal social communication and social interaction, and by restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, identified in the first years of life. The objective is to describe the profile of children with ASD in a care center in the city of Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. This is a descriptive study with a quantitative and cross-sectional approach. The sample consisted of 38 (thirty-eight) students diagnosed with ASD, aged between 3 and 15 years, of both sexes, in a care clinic in the city of Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The instrument used was medical records with personal and clinical data. All data were entered into a spreadsheet using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 29.0 for Windows. A descriptive analysis was performed with minimum, maximum, mean, standard deviation, true and absolute frequency values. The results showed a predominance of males (73.7%) and high school attendance (97.4%). Most presented verbal communication (57.9%) and social interaction ranging from good (44.7%) to limited (50%). Repetitive behaviors were present in 52.6% of the children, and half needed time to adapt to changes. Only 34.2% demonstrated specific skills. The results allow us to conclude that the applied studies provided relevant information for planning, considering that children present great diversity in communicative, social, and behavioral aspects, which indicates the need for individualized monitoring strategies.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2026.009-003