AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: AN APPROACH TO PUBLIC POLICIES AND THE ACCESS TO SOCIETY

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a set of conditions characterized by some degree of  difficulty in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and specific interests due to some activities performed repeatedly. These  characteristics appear in childhood, tend to continue in adolescence, and  remain when the individual becomes an adult. ASD generates several difficulties for the patient. Therefore, it is necessary to look at what  Brazilian societies, among others, are doing to facilitate the routine of these  people. The objective of this work was to search for national and international public policies related to ASD. Thus, national and  international laws were reviewed, and articles were consulted in databases,  such as SciELO and PubMed. There are policies and the provision of  information to citizens, about ASD, in all the Countries surveyed. Still, although the pharmacist is not a professional directly related to the  treatment of these patients, the first contact of the family with a child with  ASD can be done in pharmacies and/or Health Centers (UBS) spread across Brazil, as the contact with the doctor takes longer, due to the complexity of  the Unified Health System (SUS). Thus, the pharmacist needs to be prepared to advise the family and identify signs of ASD in the child. It is also the pharmacist’s responsibility to join a multi-professional group to develop a  therapeutic plan for the patient, assess all risks, and minimize their  symptoms.