Bahiana holds the 8th Autism Labyrinth Congress: perspectives in research and clinical practice

A Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública held the 8th Autism Labyrinth Congress: Perspectives in Research and Clinical Practice on October 16, 17, and 18 at the Cabula Campus. Coordinated by Professors Gustavo Siquara and Milena Pondé, the event was sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Autism Research (LABIRINTO), affiliated with the institution, and brought together researchers, healthcare professionals, students, family members, and individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from various regions of the country. Among the program's highlights, the conference "Refounding the Concept of Autism," led by French researcher Laurent Mottron, marked the first day of activities and provided a space for reflection on new theoretical and practical approaches in the field.

Regarding the choice of the topic, Professor Milena Pondé highlighted that "one of the challenges today is that much research isn't clinically based. It's conducted by people who don't know the patient and don't have clinical experience. We really want to encourage research to be conducted by clinicians and researchers." Regarding the event's national scope, Pondé emphasized the importance of the Labirinto Scale, an instrument developed by the research group and already used in several Brazilian states. "Labirinto has connections with research groups throughout Brazil because of the Labirinto Scale, a Brazilian instrument that aims to assess autism in a more complex way. It's an instrument that allows us to think about autism beyond the standardized instruments that come from abroad," she explained. She also emphasized that the group's greatest distinguishing feature is its commitment to building knowledge collaboratively and in a situated manner: "We want to produce knowledge that is based on our problems, in our clinical settings, and that doesn't fundamentally copy North American knowledge. We want to create decolonial scientific production," she concluded.

For the students, the conference represented an opportunity for interdisciplinary learning and experience sharing. "I'm finding it a very enriching experience. I'm connecting with professionals from other fields. It's a great opportunity, and being here is a turning point in my education," said Camile Oliveira, a fifth-semester Psychology student at Feira de Santana State University (UEFS).