Autism Spectrum Disorder: A narrative review on nursing strategies to improve the child and his family caring

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined as a behavioral syndrome caused by a biologically determined developmental disorder. It mainly affects areas relating to mutual social interaction, the ability to communicate ideas and feelings and the ability to establish relationships with other people. ASD is recognized as an urgent public health problem and children, adolescents and adults with ASD often have a series of medical or behavioral comorbidities in their lives that can be a reason for access to the Emergency Department (ED) or hospitalization. A narrative review of the literature is conducted, with a metanarrative analysis of the selected articles. The studies included in the review were obtained using search strings in PubMed, CINAHL and PsycInfo databases and through free research on Google Scholar: 684 articles were identified and subjected to the selection process, and, after a critical examination, 7 articles have been chosen. From the analysis of the studies, interventions and strategies useful for managing the challenges behaviors of children with ASD emerge such as: interventions related to receptive and expressive communication; interventions related to sensory stimuli and hospital routine; strategies for including caregivers in the care process of the patient with ASD; training interventions for nurses. These interventions have proven effective in creating personalized care plans and in improving the hospital experience. The implementation of the proposed interventions allows the nurse to create a personalized care plan, and it allows the child with ASD and family members to have positive hospital experience.

Keywords: Autism, Care, Child, Emergency Department, Hospital, Nurse.

Benedetta Bianchi, Silvia Casella, Luca Guardamagna, Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico: revisione narrativa della letteratura sulle strategie infermieristiche per migliorare la presa in carico del bambino e dei suoi famigliari in "PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE" 2/2026, pp 49-69, DOI: 10.3280/PDS2026-002004