Avaliação da habilidade de leitura em alunos com TEA na rede pública de ensino do município de Curitiba

Abstract

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) present deficits on communication and social interaction skills, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. It is necessary to increase the scientific knowledge about ASD and about teaching-learning possibilities in the school environment, as well as on how to make learning meaningful and satisfactory for this public. In this context, the present study proposed to investigate the reading ability of students with ASD enrolled in public schools in the city of Curitiba. This is an exploratory crosssectional research involving 40 children with ASD, aged 8 to 12 years, and their parents or guardians. The inclusion criteria were: 1) to have an ASD diagnosis established by a doctor; 2) to attend school at least 70% of school days; 3) to attend resource rooms; 4) being in the age range (8 to 12 years). Students who attend school at a reduced time were excluded. To carry out the evaluation, the Reading Process Assessment Test (PROLEC) was used. In addition, parents answered a questionnaire for characterization of the family and and the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC). The results confirm that children with ASD have difficulties in developing reading skills. In all school years, students scored below average than children who had normal reading skills, especially in tests that required comprehension of the text. However, some students achieve similar results to PROLEC’s normative sample, especially older ones, which may suggest that children who persist in the educational system may eventualy be able to achieve the expected reading ability. In addition, girls tended to have better reading skills than boys. No difference was found based on the socioeconomic status of the participants. It is concluded that working with a child with ASD is an experience that requires teachers to conduct a pedagogical organization for the development of individual skills and competences. It is suggested that, in order not to give up the initial difficulties, teachers should not only look at the quantitative results of the students, but consider their habilities and potentialities, because the results may not come immediately or even as educators expect.