Desenvolvimento de curso aberto sobre Assistência Nutricional no Transtorno do Espectro Autista para o Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem do SUS

Abstract

Continuing Health Education (EPS) recognizes everyday life as a fertile ground for innovation, where challenges are faced and models are replaced by collaborative and courageous practices, promoting attentive listening to the diversity and plurality that exists in our country. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can affect a person's ability to communicate, interact socially and process information in a typical way. Understanding ASD continues to evolve, and EPS is essential to ensuring that people on the spectrum receive the best support possible. The objective of this work was to develop an open course on nutritional care in ASD for health professionals, on the Virtual Learning Environment platform of the Unified Health System (AVASUS). The methodology applied was practical in nature, with an exploratory approach and an emphasis on qualitative research with an action research proposal. Initially, a literature review and situational diagnosis were carried out through the application of a semi-structured questionnaire. The sample consisted of 49 participants, in which the instrument's open responses were analyzed using IRAMUTEQ software, for content analysis through word clouds and similarity analysis, while closed questions were analyzed using the SPSS for Windows program, version 18.0 (SPSS Inc. Chicago, United States) and Excel (2016). As a result of the situational diagnosis, the study found a gap in interaction between multidisciplinary teams to share knowledge and a high demand for courses and training regarding knowledge involving nutrition in ASD. Food selectivity emerged as the topic of greatest interest, followed by supplementation, nutritional therapy and food allergy. Based on this information, the course was divided into four main axes: basic notions about ASD; human development, comorbidities associated with ASD and the role of the intestinal microbiota in ASD; nutritional assistance; Telehealth in the SUS. With a total workload of 60 hours, the course consists of seven asynchronous classes. It is expected that the course offered free of charge by AVASUS will be able to cover a wide range of professionals, contributing to their qualification and the refinement of understanding about nutrition in ASD.