A ESPIRITUALIDADE E O TRANSTORNO DO ESPECTRO AUTISTA (TEA): UM OLHAR PARA O TRATAMENTO NO PROCESSO ENSINO-APRENDIZAGEM

Abstract

The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurobehavioral pathology that can have a genetic or stochastic origin and is divided into four levels, differing in intensity and degree of manifestation, which generates a classification that ranges from mild to very serious. People with ASD have a hostile history, as they were considered incapable, and consequently there was no place for them at school. This situation has changed. Today children with ASD are in the school and classroom environment. Given this context, this Professional Master's dissertation in Religious Sciences delimited the research problem to the following question: What is the influence of spirituality/religiosity on the teaching-learning process of children with ASD in public schools? The objective of the study is to analyze the process of inclusion, at school, of children with ASD, realizing the influence of spirituality/religiosity, based on family care and school inclusion. The methodology used in this dissertation is bibliographic, documentary and field research, a case study with the application of a structured questionnaire with teachers and some families of children with ASD, linked to the Municipal Elementary Education Unit Gil Bernardes, Vila Velha- ES. The results show that the educational institution's stance to “embrace” children with special needs is carried out through legal premises of social inclusion and also through the support network with teaching staff and families. Finally, the conclusions show that spirituality, in the dimension of care, helps in the process of inclusion of students with ASD inside and outside the educational institution.