Literacy for autistic children:

what do the teachers have to tell us?

Abstract

Considering inclusion as a right for all those who have historically been excluded from society and school, this article focuses on the literacy of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) within the framework of school inclusion. The research aimed to analyze the perceptions of four literacy teachers from public schools in Goiânia, Goiás, regarding autism characteristics, school inclusion, and literacy of autistic children. Methodologically, a qualitative approach was adopted from the perspective of psychoanalytic theory. For the analysis of data from semi-structured interviews, transcription and content analysis were conducted. The results reveal that the teachers have knowledge of the essential characteristics of ASD as defined by the DSM-V and acknowledge the importance of inclusion in mainstream education. However, they also recognize shortcomings in their educational practices and perceive insufficient training for the literacy of autistic children, resulting in insecurity and lack of preparedness. It was found that they do not feel capable of teaching autistic children due to the absence of adequate pedagogical support in schools and a lack of theoretical-practical training on teaching and learning processes of reading and writing for this specific audience.