Autistic students in the post-pandemic context: training demands from the teachers' perspective

Abstract

The present work aims to evaluate the opinions of education professionals regarding the teaching of autistic students involving their rearticulation to the face-to-face school rhythm in the post-pandemic context.  The research consists of a descriptive-exploratory study, through surveys, conducted through focus groups and semi-structured interviews with education professionals from a school located in the municipality of Marco, located in the interior of the Ceará.   Contributions of mitigating methodological and didactic strategies were sought for future implementations at school.  Autistic students are among those considered the target audience of the inclusion policy, which states that the access of these people to educational institutions, especially regular schools, is a right guaranteed by Brazilian legislation and, therefore, that the use of strategies in teaching of curricular content is fundamental to the effectiveness of the educational inclusion process.  The results of this work demonstrate that there is not much investment in the continued training of teachers, a fact that discourages the active approach of teachers' opinions in the teaching and learning process for these students, therefore there is a gap in studies aimed at building knowledge in this area.  The research carried out also reveals that teaching planning is essential for promoting meaningful learning among these students, as the strategies used must consider the specificity of each student.  From the procedures carried out, it is inferred that the teaching strategies given by the participants can be adapted for the inclusion of autistic students, and that they need to be included in the school curriculum, so that these students feel active and participatory in the acquisition of knowledge.