Parents' opinions on the role of physiotherapists in physiotherapy procedures for children with autism

Abstract

Uvod i cilj: Autizam prvi puta opisuje 1943. godine dječji psihijatar Leo Kanner. Riječ autizam dolazi od grčke riječi authos što označuje sam. Unazad posljednjih desetak godina uočava se zastoju u jezičnom razvoju djece isto kao i smanjenja interakcija s ostatkom društva. Prevalencija autizma je 1 naspram 1000 djece te je u konstantom porastu, a zahvaća više mušku djecu. Autizam obuhvaća mnogobrojne promjene u vidu oslabljene motorike, percepcije, miješanja emocija i zaostatku u intelektualnom području. Budući da je svako dijete individua za sebe, za svakoga posebno treba napraviti plan i cilj liječenja što će napraviti fizioterapeuti na temelju individualne procjene. Fizioterapeuti imaju veliku ulogu u očuvanju i poboljšanju funkcije lokomotornog i mišićnog sustava. Osim poboljšanja motorike i sprječavanja kontraktura, oni značajno doprinose i fizičkoj, ali i emocionalnoj zaštiti. Metode: Ovaj istraživački rad u cilj ima ispitati mišljenje i zadovoljstvo roditelja djece s poremećajem iz spektra autizma o radu fizioterapeuta s njihovom djecom. Ispitivanje je provedeno putem društvenih mreža i Centra za autizam, korištenjem formuliranog anketnog upitnika koji je bio potpuno anoniman. U istraživanje su se uključila 48 roditelja s područja Varaždinske, Međimurske i Zagrebačke županije. Rezultati: Istraživanjem je utvrđeno da veliki broj roditelja prepoznaje važnost uloge fizioterapeuta u poboljšanju zdravstvenog stanja njihovog djeteta. Međutim, također je uočeno da mnoga djeca nisu uključena u fizioterapijski program. S druge strane, velika većina djece uključena je u školske aktivnosti Zaključak: Uzevši u obzir županije iz kojih dolaze ispitanici, vidljivo je da je manji dio djece s poremećajem iz spektra autizma uključen u fizioterapijski program od najranije dobi. Neka djeca čak nemaju pristup takvom programu. Stoga je nužno dodatno raditi na edukaciji roditelja te osiguravanju stručne pomoći i dostupnosti fizioterapijskih usluga za djecu s autizmom.Introduction and aim: Autism was first described in 1943 by child psychiatrist Leo Kanner. The word autism comes from the Greek word authos, meaning „self“. Over the past 10 years, delays in children's language development have been observed, as well as reduced interaction with the rest of society. The prevalence of autism is 1 in 1000 children and is constantly increasing, with a higher incidence in boys. Autism includes numerous changes such as impaired motor skills, perception difficulties, emotional disturbances, and intellectual delays. Since each child is an individual, a personalized treatment plan and goal should be createde for each one, designed by physiotherapists based on an individual assessment. Physiotherapists play an important role in maintaining and improving the function of the locomotor and muscular systems. In addition to improving motor skills and preventing contractures, they significantly contribute to both the physical and emotional well-being of the child. Methods: The aim od this research paper is to examine the opinions and satisfaction of parents of children with autism spectrum disorders regarding the work of physiotherapists with their children. The survey was conducted trough social media and the Autism Center using a formulated questionnaire that was completely anonymous. A total of 48 parents from the Varaždin, Međimurje, and Zagreb counties participated in the study. Results: The research shows that a large number of parents recognize the importance of physiotherapists in improving their child's health condition. However, it was also observed that many children are not included in the physiotherapy programs. On the other hand, the vast majority of children are included in school activities Conclusion: Taking into account the counties of the respondents, it is evident that only a small portion of children with autism spectrum disorder are included in the physiotherapy programs from an early age. Some children do not even have the access to such programs. Therefore, it is necessary to improve education for parents and ensure professional support and the availability of physiotherapy services for children with autism