Ambulatório de nutrição na APAE-RIO: um relato de experiência de estágio no atendimento a pessoas com deficiência intelectual e transtorno do espectro autista

Nutrition ambulatory at APAE-RIO: a report of internship experience in nutrition ambulatory specialized in care for children with intellectual disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder

Abstract

The supervised internship is a crucial moment of learning for the training of future professionals, as it aims to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical experience, fostering the development of skills and competencies. During the second semester of 2024, Lílian Boaventura Fernandez Cuiñas conducted her Supervised Curricular Internship in Clinical Nutrition at the Rio de Janeiro Association of Parents and Friends of Exceptional Children (Apae-Rio). The objective of this report was to describe the student’s experience, contributing to knowledge building, and to present the activities carried out by the Nutrition Clinic at the Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Center (CMR) for Intellectual Disabilities and Autism, Lafayette Cortes, at Apae-Rio. From the beginning of the internship in August to November2024, 46 initial consultations were conducted, excluding follow-up appointments. Food selectivity was a common complaint among caregivers, and it was identified through the Food Consumption Frequency Questionnaire that 14% of the children consumed fewer than ten different types of food. Finally, the internship at the Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Center for Intellectual Disabilities and Autism, Lafayette Cortes, at Apae-Rio provided a unique learning opportunity, aligning the theoretical framework of Nutrition Science with practical care for the neurodivergent population. It allowed for breaking away from the fragmentation of health education and experiencing integrative and multidisciplinary actions.