Sujeitos autistas e a escola em tempos de pandemia: perspectivas em diálogo

Abstract

The year of 2020 will be historically remembered by the unknown agent that changed the routine of thousands of people, the new coronavirus, which triggered the COVID-19 pandemic, as declared by the World Health Organization in March, 2020. Initially, in the absence of control measures through vaccination, social distancing measures were recommended. From this, we can see how the population dealt with the physical, psychological, social and economic impacts caused and/or aggravated by COVID-19. In this research, we investigated the effects of the pandemic on the relationship of two autistic individuals with the school in times of pandemic, in the context of the city of Simões Filho - Ba. A qualitative case study, of ethnographic inspiration, had been carried out, with the general objective of analyzing, considering the impacts of the pandemic, how the relationship between autistic subjects and the school happened from the perception of those responsible for autistics and pedagogical and educational coordinators/or teachers. As a result, it was observed that the children participating in this research already came from a history full of mishaps with the school and in the face of the pandemic scenario the difficulties became even more profound. In the pandemic, the proposed format to continue school education was remote teaching, something that both participating children had difficulties to adapt to, ending up doing only the printed activities given by the schools. In assessing the data produced, it was realized that the pandemic moment was characterized as a period of vulnerability for everyone's mental health. It is concluded that the school practices experienced by autistic children in the pandemic period did not contemplate individuals in their specificities, hampering the inclusion process. The present research revealed not only the weaknesses of pandemic teaching, but highlighted the difficulties historically faced by society, including the school system, to provide an education that takes into account the singularities and promotes the potential of autistic subjects.