Avaliação da efetividade de políticas públicas educacionais na inclusão de crianças com transtorno do espectro autista: estudo de caso em um Centro de Educação e Cidadania de Aquiraz/CE

Abstract

The school inclusion of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the challenges faced by public education policies in Brazil. Despite legal advancements, such as Law No. 12.764/2012 (Berenice Piana Law), significant barriers still exist to ensuring that these children have their right to equitable learning upheld. Aiming to investigate this scenario, this study sought to evaluate the implementation of public policies for the inclusion of children with ASD at a Center for Education and Citizenship in the municipality of Aquiraz, Ceará. To this end, the Logical Framework Methodology (LFM) evaluation approach was implemented, seeking to identify the main problems, causes, and effects in the process of enacting inclusion policies in the context of Early Childhood Education, with a focus on teaching practices, institutional structure, and specialized pedagogical support. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured questionnaire interviews with teachers from a municipal public school, complemented by documentary analysis of the school's Political-Pedagogical Project and local educational guidelines. The results identified problems related to the school inclusion of children in Early Childhood Education in the investigated case, allowing for a mapping of the main obstacles faced by teachers, such as the lack of ongoing training on autism, the scarcity of pedagogical resources, and the shortage of multidisciplinary teams. Based on the findings, recommendations are proposed to improve municipal public inclusion policies, in the form of an educational product, grounded in the voices of professionals who experience this reality on a daily basis. This study reinforces the urgency of intersectoral actions and investments in teacher training as fundamental pillars for ensuring the retention, participation, and development of children with ASD in schools.