03/17/16 – Last updated on: 03/18/16

Text and photos: Ariane Mondo – Ascom ISD

Cinema with lights on, sound volume reduced and no trailers before the film? It may seem strange at first glance, but these were the precautions adopted by the group 'Battling Owl Mothers' to promote the first cinema session for autistic people in Natal (RN), on the 12th, with a screening of the film “Rio 2”. The movie theater was full and 324 tickets were sold for the special session held for children and young people who have an autism spectrum disorder.

O Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center (CEPS), located in Macaíba (RN), took 18 children and companions attended to at its Multidisciplinary Autism Spectrum Care Service (SEMEA), thanks to the “Adopt a ticket” campaign, disseminated internally among employees of the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD). On the day of the special session, a CEPS team made up of a psychologist, social worker, nursing technician and physiotherapist was at the cinema to watch the session.

Samantha Maranhão, psychologist at SEMEA/CEPS, spoke about the initiative to promote a cinema session with specific care: “All of this is to try to make children feel more comfortable, because one of the basic compromises in the clinical picture is the change in sensory integration. It is as if these people receive sensory stimuli more or less intensely than people considered healthy.”

Priscila Aline Silva, took his son Jonas Gabriel, 4 years old, going to the cinema for the first time. She said that she discovered the boy's diagnosis recently and due to the symptoms presented, mother and son were referred to the CEPS autism spectrum disorder clinic, where Jonas has been receiving treatment since January this year. After leaving the movie theater, the mother said she found the experience very interesting, because she saw social interaction between children and parents. “In the session he interacted with a lot of people and the autistic child doesn’t like that very much, right? You have to learn to adapt to this type of situation. Jonas didn't like going out and shouted a lot. Now, after treatment, he is starting to go out and communicate with other people”, said the mother.

Rochelle Elias, responsible for organizing the event, said: “I think the children behaved very well, the feeling is that the family could have the right to something so simple for some people and for others it was so difficult. We see that there is an audience for this and it is a right for everyone.”

Given the success of the session, Kesia Rocha, manager of the cinema chain that supported the event, guarantees that the next session adapted for autistic people will be on April 16th. “Then the expectation is that the sessions will be bimonthly”, she added. CEPS had the support of Natal Vans to transport patients and their companions from Macaíba to the cinema in Natal.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Samantha Maranhão explains that it is difficult to establish a diagnosis in the clinical picture of autism, because it is purely behavioral: “Today there is no specific test that helps with the diagnosis, so it goes through the clinical eye of the professional”, says the psychologist.

The nomenclature Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was given, because today it is known that autism has different levels of intensity. The same symptom can occur in a severe, mild or moderate form, depending on the child's age, how much stimulation he or she receives and the appropriate intervention. Samantha states: “That's why diagnostic manuals today opt for the spectrum nomenclature, because we're talking about a gradient of varying intensities and symptoms.” According to medical literature, ASD is 'a group of disorders characterized by a shared spectrum of qualitative impairments in communication and social interaction, associated with repetitive behaviors and restricted interests'.

The Specialized Multidisciplinary Service for the Autistic Spectrum (SEMEA) was created by CEPS in 2015 and offers care provided by professionals from various areas of health. Currently SEMEA receives an average of 40 children from Macaíba and neighboring municipalities.

On the day of the film session, Samantha Maranhão gave an interview to two TV stations in Natal:

TV Tropical (Record affiliate): https://youtu.be/TaKhOH-zYb4

TV Ponta Negra (SBT affiliate): https://youtu.be/_MJNDp1oRJw

More about CEPS: https://www.institutosantosdumont.org.br/centro-de-educacao-e-pesquisa-em-saude-anita-garibaldi/