INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER - A CASE STUDY OF ANTONIO FERREIRA DA SILVA MUNICIPAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Autism; Special Education; Inclusive Education; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Educational Inclusion.
Equality is a fundamental principle of the Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil and a prerequisite for any nation to be considered democratic. In this context, for human beings to be placed in conditions of equality, access to quality education becomes paramount, which motivated this master's level research, based on the following question: What is the role of special education as a source of knowledge to develop teaching practices aimed at meeting the needs of students with autism at EMEF Antonio Ferreira da Silva? The research was conducted with professionals from the mentioned school and utilized focus groups for data collection. The objective was to identify successful practices that make this school a reference for the entire municipal public network. Since this is a Professional Graduate Program, the results will be organized into an electronic guide, which will be the final product, and delivered to the Municipal Department of Education and internal and external control bodies. The first phase of the research consisted of a review of specialized literature, followed by a documentary analysis of the legal frameworks regarding the inclusion of people with disabilities and inclusive education. The third phase involved data collection, followed by data analysis in the fourth phase. The fifth and final phase was scientific writing. The analyzed school stands out in official evaluation data compared to other schools in the municipal public network of Porto Velho and is highly sought after by parents of children with autism in the municipality. The research revealed that a highly experienced team in inclusive education, combined with a commitment to quality indicators, is one of the main reasons for the school’s success. Other key factors include the synergy of the team and the active participation of families in the daily life of the institution. Finally, although EMEF Antonio Ferreira da Silva has good physical infrastructure and equipment, the major differentiating factor responsible for its positive outcomes is its team, which demonstrates a strong commitment to the model of Special Education from the Perspective of Inclusive Education, as expected in any educational institution.