Analysis of Support Devices for Inclusive Education of Students with ASD in the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Background:  

In Argentina the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has constitutional status. In practice, this has meant a series of changes in public policies regarding educational inclusion of students with ASD. Historically the families of children with ASD, nucleated in different organizations, have raised claims against policies of exclusion and segregation, calling for support for inclusive education of their children.

Objectives:  

The aim of our research is to investigate and analyze current support devices for inclusive education for students with ASD in the Educational System of the City of Buenos Aires  offers, considering the public and private sectors in primary and secondary levels. What are its scope and limitations. What are the views of stakeholders protagonists of these formats in the local educational community, teachers and families. What human and material resources they are involved in these processes of inclusion. That is, what transformations and transitions are presented today from the proposals of support devices for learning in mainstream schools and special school. And finally, what future prospects can be drawn from in-depth analysis of the current situation.

Methods:  

Participants: 177 students with ASD, through surveys completed by teachers and families.

We have developed two types of surveys: "S" ("School") and "F" ("Family"), which have been distributed in schools and among families.

"S" Survey consists of 30 questions and was given to different school actors (teachers, administrators, supervisors, support teachers) both in mainstream and special schools.

Survey "F" consists of 21 questions and was distributed among relatives of students with ASD of the City of Buenos Aires.

Both surveys share 14 questions, while the remaining questions are specific to each type of survey.

Surveys were self-administered by each participant and their distribution was done in two ways: virtual and in person, according to the possibilities of the participants. After the collection of completed surveys, will proceed to data cleaning and data analysis, considering the different variables and the interaction between these.

Results:  

Among the barriers to educational inclusion respondents note the lack of inclusive education policies and projects; prejudice, fear or lack of inclusive values in the educational community and the lack of training of teachers.

The analysis and interpretation of further results is in progress and will be added later.

Conclusions:  

Expected from a current state of the situation with regard to supporting devices for the inclusion in the educational system of the City of Buenos Aires, with voices of the actors, directors, teachers and families of students with ASD. In a second phase will be interviewed students with ASD.

This will help provide educational services and support devices increasingly tailored to the needs of people with ASD learning. We believe that our research, the first in the area covering entire education system of the City of Buenos Aires, may contribute to the design of inclusive public policies in education, in order to improve the quality of life and possibilities of autonomy and self-determination of people with ASD.