Formação de professores da educação infantil acerca dos mitos e concepções sobre o ensino da criança com autismo

Abstract

In the face of all the deficits in communication, socialization and behaviors that may be present in a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), teachers of the common class feel insecure about teaching this student, as they have conceptions about ASD and how the teaching process must happen. How myths and conceptions affect the teaching of children with ASD is a problem discussed in research and that stimulated the present work. Therefore, this study was developed through an explanatory intervention research, with the objective of elaborating and implementing an online training program on the conceptions about the teaching of children with ASD in Early Childhood Education and to verify the impact on the speeches of the participants during the formative process. The training was carried out based on reflection and discussion of Teaching Cases, and two Early Childhood Education school units from a medium-sized municipality in the interior of the state of São Paulo participated, which has an important training institution on the subject and which has already offered courses of training the teaching staff on TEA. Twenty-five Kindergarten teachers and a school agent participated in the training. The participants were between 32 and 63 years old, with time working in Early Childhood Education from two to 23 years. The training was carried out through the analysis, reflection and discussion of teaching cases of children with ASD, addressing topics such as characteristics, the importance of the report, rigidity, stereotypes, among others, and had the complementary activities syntheses on the topics covered, videos and activities for reflection. Data collection took place in three stages: 1) Presentation of the research and application of the questionnaire “Basic concepts and conceptions about ASD.” 2) Process of collaborative reflective training. 3) New application of the questionnaire in order to assess the effects of training. The data were analyzed in a descriptive way with the comparison of the applications of the questionnaires and of Content Analysis. In this way, expanded contact with the topic was achieved, improvement in the level of knowledge about ASD and the demystification of some conceptions of teachers in the common class with the objective of promoting inclusion and participation of the student with ASD in the common room. The results showed that one of the challenges regarding the inclusion and teaching of children with ASD is directly related to the deficit initial and continuing education, as they approach the topic succinctly and only in theory; and also to factors such as public policies and adequate infrastructure and financial investments. Another important factor indicated by the results is that the knowledge acquired about ASD comes from practice and social media, which cannot be absorbed as absolute truth and indicates the importance of the report for teaching practice. This research points out that the path to understanding and school inclusion of children with ASD, one in which the regular education system is suitable for everyone and with adequate educational opportunities for diversities of learning styles. It goes far beyond initial teacher training with greater emphasis on the subject, but with continued training through reflection on teaching cases and teaching practice and a quality relationship with the family of the child with ASD.