Treinamento de professores no manejo comportamental de cinco alunos com transtornos do espectro do autismo na condição de inclusão escolar

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterized by heterogeneous signs and symptoms that significantly affect the psychosocial adaptation of the patient. For instance, the absence of joint attention, communication deficit, social interaction, initiation of joint social attention, solicitation behaviors and behavior problems. Similar to other development disorders, children with ASD develop special educational needs (SEN) due to specific behavioral, cognitive, language and social adaptation clinical conditions. In Brazil there is a specific legislation that associates this clinical frame to the condition of a person with SEN. The set of all behavioral, communication, and language alterations observed in autism interferes in the insertion and adaptation of patients in the school environment. Scientific evidence about intervention strategies indicate that the behavioristic approach is one of the most beneficial to the improvement and appeasing of several problems typically associated with ASD (behavior problems, social skills, daily life skills, social communication, among others). The general objetctive of this study was to develop, implement and assess the efficiency of a training program for teachers on behavior management strategies for students with ASD. The project was developed in five elementary schools from the city of Barueri. The sample was composed of five students with ASD, age range 6 to 10 years old, enrolled in elementary schools in Barueri, and their respective teachers, totalizing 10 participants. The following tools were used: a) Wechsler 34 Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC III), b) Brazilian version of The Behavior Problems Inventory (BPI/01), c) Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), d) Report of behavior observation, e) Questionnaire to verify teachers general knowledge on ASD. The study was carried out in three steps, Step I: initial assessment through the use of the aforementioned tools; Step II: intervention; Step III: post-intervention. The main results indicate a reduction of behavioral problems in all children, according to both behavioral assessment tests and according to behavioral problems rates recorded before and after the intervention. The indicators of behavioral problems that had the most reduced rates were aggressiveness, self-aggressiveness, and stereotypies. At the post-intervention step, new adequate and adaptive behaviors were recorded in the classroom setting. Teachers improved qualitatively their knowledge on ASD and, according to the results, they seem to have started the use of adequate behavioral management strategies with these students. The orientation guide proved to be efficient to the management of low cost contingencies. Data, though restricted to the sample, show that the use of the guide is feasible in the classroom setting.