Barros, Jonatas de FrançaBenjamim, Eloyse Emmanuelle Rocha Braz2018-05-102018-05-102018-03-09BENJAMIM, Eloyse Emmanuelle Rocha Braz. Efeitos de um programa de psicomotricidade relacional no meio aquático sobre o comportamento social em crianças com transtorno do espectro autista. 2018. 91f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Educação Física) - Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 2018.https://repositorio.ufrn.br/jspui/handle/123456789/25179Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that compromises, among other aspects, socialization and communication and, in many cases, promotes intellectual deficiency, which causes delayed individual development. Thus, we used the relational psychomotricity approach, which is an interesting tool to improve behavioral aspects, which demand more attention in the treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder. Objective: To analyze the effects of a program of relational psychomotricity in an aquatic environment on the social behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: This is a mixed methods research, with a qualitative preponderance, being presented as a descriptive-evaluative case study. The sample is made of 6 (six) subjects aged between 5 (five) to 7 (seven) years old, both male and female, with autism spectrum disorder which are users of the health services of the Child-Juvenile Psychosocial Attention Center of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. Participants performed a 14 (fourteen) session program of relational psychomotricity 2 (two) times a week, 50 (fifty) minutes per session. We used two scales relating to the symptomatic behavioral situation: ATEC (Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist) and the ABC Scale (Atypical Behavior Scale), which we applied before and after the 14 (fourteen) sessions of relational psychomotricity. All interventions were filmed, photographed, analyzed and described, and medical monitoring and institutional clinical records of the health service were also utilized, as well as reports of the Physical Education teachers which participated in those sessions and semi-structured interviews with the parents. Results: After verifying the ABC scale of the participants before and after the intervention, significant differences in irritability (t(5)=3,266; p=0,022), behavior (t(5)=2,744; p=0,041) and inappropriate speech (t(5)=2,939; p=0,032) were found. No significant differences were found in any questions of the sub-scales of the ATEC scale. In the interviews, the parents related positive changes in the socialization of the subjects. The reports, images and videos portrayed a good interaction between peers, objects and teachers during the sessions. Only one child presented changes in autonomy in daily life activities (DLA). Conclusion: Our study showed that a program of relational psychomotricity in an aquatic seems to improve social behavior, communication and decrease the irritability of children with autism spectrum disorder. Positive effects were evidenced in the ADLs in one of the subjects.Acesso AbertoTranstornos do espectro autistaAtividade motoraRecreaçãoPsicomotricidade relacionalComportamento socialDesenvolvimento da criançaMeio aquáticomasterThesisCNPQ::CIENCIAS DA SAUDE::EDUCACAO FISICA