A inclusão de alunos autistas de 0 a 3 anos na educação infantil da rede pública municipal de ensino de Cascavel - PR

Abstract

Education is a right of every citizen, and with advances in public policies, early childhood education has become part of basic education. In the Municipal Centers for Early Childhood Education (CMEIs), inclusive education is currently being implemented. This setting presents daily challenges for teachers, who must address the need for training and understanding of early childhood education, particularly for children with disabilities. This research aimed to understand, identify, and examine the process of including children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in early childhood education, specifically from 0 to 3 years old, within the CMEIs of the Cascavel Municipal Public Education Network (PR) from 2016 to 2019. It is important to analyze the educational reality during the inclusion process of autistic children in daycare environments to promote their development, as the first stage of education is as vital as the other stages within Basic Education. The research was grounded in historicaldialectical materialism, drawing on bibliographic works by authors such as Vygotsky (2022), Leontiev (1978), Pasqualini (2016), Barroco and Leonardo (2016), Arce and Raupp (2012), Pagnoncelli (2015), among others. The study is qualitative in nature and relied on a variety of sources: bibliographic studies and historical document research, including national, state, and municipal legislation and regulations on the subject. Field research took place in the Municipal Centers for Early Childhood Education with the highest number of enrollments of autistic children from 2016 to 2019, through questionnaires for early childhood education teachers, support agents, and monitors. The survey and analysis of sources and collected data allowed for an understanding of how the professionals involved perceive autistic children, their specific manifestations, and how they implement necessary adaptations in pedagogical activities, demonstrating their commitment to teaching. Continuous training was cited as a need for the inclusive process, as most professionals believe in school inclusion but point out the need to reorganize the teaching process, improving conditions at the CMEIs, particularly regarding the number of children per classroom. Some highlighted the challenges of the inclusion process for children aged 0 to 3 due to the persistence of biological and assistance-oriented models. This research enabled the identification of contradictions between what is stipulated in official documents and its implementation in the CMEIs, thus providing insights into the complexities of local inclusive early childhood education and preserving historical memory.