Construção e validação de uma tecnologia cuidativo-educacional para a compreensão de sinais comportamentais do autismo infantil

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by specific behaviors and a pattern of linguistic, cognitive, social, and motor abnormalities; it is frequently diagnosed late, thereby compromising child development. In this context, educational strategies that assist family members, caregivers, and professionals in understanding and identifying the disorder early are of particular importance. This dissertation aimed to develop and validate a Care-Educational Technology (CET)—specifically a board game—to help parents and/or caregivers of children with ASD understand the behaviors associated with the disorder. This methodological study was conducted in the following stages: an integrative literature review; document analysis of medical records to inform the technology's content; game construction; and content and face validation by experts. Content validation was performed using the Item-level and Scale-level Content Validity Index (I-CVI and S-CVI), while face validation utilized the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) instrument. Analysis of the medical records revealed a predominance of male patients and late diagnoses, as well as a prevalence of symptoms related to social interaction, communication, motor skills, emotional regulation, and learning; these findings informed the development of the game "Sinalizando o Autismo" (Signaling Autism). Content validation yielded an S-CVI of 0.99, indicating a high degree of agreement among experts. Face validation resulted in an overall score of 82.5%, classifying the technology as superior. The game serves as an informative, accessible, and low-cost tool designed to foster interaction, the exchange of experiences, and reflection. Due to its interdisciplinary nature, this CET can be used by family members, caregivers, educators, and healthcare teams, offering a simple approach to the cognitive, emotional, motor, social, and linguistic signs of ASD. Thus, the study achieved its objective by developing and validating a technology that fosters health education and expands knowledge about childhood autism, contributing, above all, to improving the quality of life for these children and their families.