Efficacy of three screening instruments in the identification of autistic-spectrum disorders

Background Screening instruments for autistic-spectrum disorders have not been compared in the same sample. Aims To compare the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and the Children's Communication Checklist (CCC). Method Screen and diagnostic assessments on 119 children between 9 and 13 years of age with special educational needs with and without autistic-spectrum disorders were weighted to estimate screen characteristics for a realistic target population. Results The SCQ performed best (area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC)=0.90; sensitivity. 6; specificity 0.78). The SRS had a lower AUC (0.77) with high sensitivity (0.78) and moderate specificity (0.67). The CCC had a high sensitivity but lower specificity (AUC=0.79; sensitivity 0.93; specificity 0.46). The AUC of the SRS and CCC was lower for children with IQ < 70. Behaviour problems reduced specificity for all three instruments. Conclusions The SCQ, SRS and CCC showed strong to moderate ability to identify autistic-spectrum disorder in this at-risk sample of school-age children with special educational needs.

Measles vaccination and antibody response in autism spectrum disorders

Objective: To test the hypothesis that measles vaccination was involved in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) as evidenced by signs of a persistent measles infection or abnormally persistent immune response shown by circulating measles virus or raised antibody titres in children with ASD who had been vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) compared with controls. Design: Case-control study, community based. Methods: A community sample of vaccinated children aged 10-12 years in the UK with ASD (n = 98) and two control groups of similar age, one with special educational needs but no ASD (n = 52) and one typically developing group (n = 90), were tested for measles virus and antibody response to measles in the serum. Results: No difference was found between cases and controls for measles antibody response. There was no dose-response relationship between autism symptoms and antibody concentrations. Measles virus nucleic acid was amplified by reverse transcriptase-PCR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from one patient with autism and two typically developing children. There was no evidence of a differential response to measles virus or the measles component of the MMR in children with ASD, with or without regression, and controls who had either one or two doses of MMR. Only one child from the control group had clinical symptoms of possible enterocolitis. Conclusion: No association between measles vaccination and ASD was shown.

Regression, developmental trajectory and associated problems in disorders in the autism spectrum: the SNAP study

We report rates of regression and associated findings in a population derived group of 255 children aged 9-14 years, participating in a prevalence study of autism spectrum disorders (ASD); 53 with narrowly defined autism, 105 with broader ASD and 97 with non-ASD neurodevelopmental problems, drawn from those with special educational needs within a population of 56,946 children. Language regression was reported in 30% with narrowly defined autism, 8% with broader ASD and less than 3% with developmental problems without ASD. A smaller group of children were identified who underwent a less clear setback. Regression was associated with higher rates of autistic symptoms and a deviation in developmental trajectory. Regression was not associated with epilepsy or gastrointestinal problems.

Gut permeability in autism spectrum disorders

Objective To test whether gut permeability is increased in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by evaluating gut permeability in a population-derived cohort of children with ASD compared with age- and intelligence quotient-matched controls without ASD but with special educational needs (SEN). Patients and Methods One hundred thirty-three children aged 10–14 years, 103 with ASD and 30 with SEN, were given an oral test dose of mannitol and lactulose and urine collected for 6 hr. Gut permeability was assessed by measuring the urine lactulose/mannitol (L/M) recovery ratio by electrospray mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry. The ASD group was subcategorized for comparison into those without (n = 83) and with (n = 20) regression. Results There was no significant difference in L/M recovery ratio (mean (95% confidence interval)) between the groups with ASD: 0.015 (0.013–0.018), and SEN: 0.014 (0.009–0.019), nor in lactulose, mannitol, or creatinine recovery. No significant differences were observed in any parameter for the regressed versus non-regressed ASD groups. Results were consistent with previously published normal ranges. Eleven children (9/103 = 8.7% ASD and 2/30 = 6.7% SEN) had L/M recovery ratio > 0.03 (the accepted normal range cut-off), of whom two (one ASD and one SEN) had more definitely pathological L/M recovery ratios > 0.04. Conclusion There is no statistically significant group difference in small intestine permeability in a population cohort-derived group of children with ASD compared with a control group with SEN. Of the two children (one ASD and one SEN) with an L/M recovery ratio of > 0.04, one had undiagnosed asymptomatic celiac disease (ASD) and the other (SEN) past extensive surgery for gastroschisis.

The use of software Mapavox for teaching graphics and games to blind and low vision students: a development through practices

Current policies on education to visually impaired point for a growing trend of including students with special educational needs in regular schools. However, most often this inclusion is not accompanied by an appropriate professional trained or infrastructure, which has been presented as a big problem for regular school teachers who have students with visual impairments in their classroom. Based on this situation, the Group of Extension in Tactile Cartography from UNESP - University of the State of São Paulo - Campus de Rio Claro - SP - Brazil has been developing educational material of geography and cartography to blind students at a special school. Among the materials developed in this study highlight the development of graphics and board games provided with sound capabilities through MAPAVOX, software developed in partnership with UFRJ - Federal University from Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil. Through this software, sound capabilities can be inserted into built materials, giving them a multi-sensory character. In most cases the necessary conditions for building specific materials to students with visual impairments is expensive and beyond the reach of features from a regular school, so the survey sought to use easy access and low cost materials like Cork, leaf aluminum, material for fixing and others. The development of these materials was supported by preparation in laboratory and its subsequent test through practices involving blind students. The methodology used on the survey is based on qualitative research and non comparative analysis of the results. In other words, the material is built based on the special students perception and reality construction, not being mere adaptations of visual materials, but a construction focused on the reality of the visually impaired. The results proved were quite successful as the materials prepared were effective on mediating the learning process of students with disabilities. Geographical and cartographic concepts were seized by the students through the technology used, associated with the use of materials that took into account in its building process the perception of the students.

Educação inclusiva e formação continuada: contribuições dos casos de ensino para os processos de aprendizagem e desenvolvimento profissional de professores

This study focuses on processes of learning and professional development experienced by elementary school teachers who have students with special educational needs in their classrooms. Cases and case methods can be used as methodological resource to articulate the continued training of teachers in an inclusive perspective. This research-intervention adopted a constructive-collaborative model for continued teachers formation. The main objective was to investigate the possible contributions of teaching cases, while investigative and formative strategies, for the processes of learning and professional development of teachers who work in the regular school. The data were collected by means of analytical activities, drafting collective discussion and teaching cases, having eight teachers as participants in a regular public school, located in the municipality of Natal/RN, Brasil. The theoretical reference covers the inclusive education, teaching learning, teachers professional development, the knowledge base for teaching and teaching cases as a resource for continued teachers formation in an inclusive perspective. The results indicated that teaching cases allowed description and analysis of educational practices developed by regular education teachers and adoption of reflective processes about situations reported and on their own pedagogical actuation, achieving indications of changes. It also indicates the contribution of cases for the clarification, systematization and extension of professional knowledge about inclusive education process as well as for involvement by the teachers of the study in a pedagogical thinking process. The lessons learned are related mainly to own role as teachers of regular education, to the role of professional support and specialized institutions faced to school inclusion. The analyses showed the methodological option was suitable to develop a schoolcentric training process, allowing teachers to seek in their actual environment alternatives for construction of a new logic of teaching that encloses diversity. The conclusion is that the cases, while bringing educational situations closer to the reality experienced by teachers in their daily professional role, causes relevant improvement on teachers education, because it offers training in conjunction with the experience and knowledge that teachers already have

Educação inclusiva e formação continuada: contribuições dos casos de ensino para os processos de aprendizagem e desenvolvimento profissional de professores

This study focuses on processes of learning and professional development experienced by elementary school teachers who have students with special educational needs in their classrooms. Cases and case methods can be used as methodological resource to articulate the continued training of teachers in an inclusive perspective. This research-intervention adopted a constructive-collaborative model for continued teachers formation. The main objective was to investigate the possible contributions of teaching cases, while investigative and formative strategies, for the processes of learning and professional development of teachers who work in the regular school. The data were collected by means of analytical activities, drafting collective discussion and teaching cases, having eight teachers as participants in a regular public school, located in the municipality of Natal/RN, Brasil. The theoretical reference covers the inclusive education, teaching learning, teachers professional development, the knowledge base for teaching and teaching cases as a resource for continued teachers formation in an inclusive perspective. The results indicated that teaching cases allowed description and analysis of educational practices developed by regular education teachers and adoption of reflective processes about situations reported and on their own pedagogical actuation, achieving indications of changes. It also indicates the contribution of cases for the clarification, systematization and extension of professional knowledge about inclusive education process as well as for involvement by the teachers of the study in a pedagogical thinking process. The lessons learned are related mainly to own role as teachers of regular education, to the role of professional support and specialized institutions faced to school inclusion. The analyses showed the methodological option was suitable to develop a schoolcentric training process, allowing teachers to seek in their actual environment alternatives for construction of a new logic of teaching that encloses diversity. The conclusion is that the cases, while bringing educational situations closer to the reality experienced by teachers in their daily professional role, causes relevant improvement on teachers education, because it offers training in conjunction with the experience and knowledge that teachers already have

Um estudante cego no curso de licenciatura em musica da ufrn: questões de acessibilidade curricular e física

This work aims to discuss and analyze the process of school inclusion of a blind person in the Bachelor's Degree in Music, at the School of Music at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, as well as reflect on the importance of establishing systems of support and to ensure university inclusive process of people with visual impairments. In pursuit to achieve these objectives, this research chose a qualitative methodological approach, the case study, using as procedures for data construction an interview, observation, analysis of documents and photographs. Joined the group of participants in this study, a blind student in the class of 2009.1of the EMUFRN Bachelor's Degree in Music, teachers from two disciplines complied by the student, two classmates, a monitor support in music theory, the course coordinator and school principal, and two other individuals who contributed to the inclusion process in actions not formalized institutionally. The results indicate UFRN proposed initiatives that contribute to inclusion of students with disabilities in this institution, the main one is the creation of the Standing Committee of Support for Students with Special Educational Needs (CAENE), a group that guides administrative sectors, teachers, principals, coordinators and students on the measures needed to enter and remain in quality education for all. Physical accessibility is still under construction at UFRN, and many access and sectors see it being adapted for students with physical or visual disabilities, and those with mobility impairments, have access to various parts of the university, however, as shown in this study, some points need to be reconsidered, as there are several places where the installation of tactile floor does not fully follow the guidelines proposed in the legislation. The proposals for access to the curriculum, mediated by EMUFRN, are actions that propose the inclusion of the blind student, as the existence of an educational monitor to help in the study of music theory, however, we need to rethink these proposals to not became actions of reactive intervention. Assuming a more proactive posture, the EMUFRN will be prepared to receive the diversity of students that expects. The study also points out that the blind student is part of a group of students that are practical musicians, who must work in events and evening shows, and who have little knowledge in music theory, leading, respectively, in low frequency classes and learning difficulties in certain curricular components, which may cause the closing of such components. In this case, the challenge of EMUFRN, considering the inclusive perspective, it is not specifically fit for the academic host a blind student, but to develop an accessibility project curriculum to consider effectively the diversity of all its students, taking into account mainly the economic and cultural conditions. This implies a process of resizing academic practices that be guided for collaborative and coordinated actions involving the various educational actors at EMUFRN and UFRN

A coordenação pedagógica e o processo de inclusão do aluno com necessidade educacionais especiais:Um estudo de caso

The school inclusion presents a number of challenges that has been mobilizing initiatives and studies about its effectiveness. If on one hand in such studies and initiatives it becomes important to emphasize on the role and training of teachers, on the other, there is few studies about the role (and performance) of the pedagogical coordination in face of this process. In this sense, this research focuses on the role of educational coordination in face of the school inclusion of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and it undertakes the following study s questions: has the action by the coordinator contributed to the process of including students with Special Educational Needs? How is it presented in the process of inclusion of students with SEN in regular education? And it aims to: investigate the role of the pedagogical coordinator in the process of inclusion of students with Special Educational Needs of Primary Education at regular schools; and to analyze the limits and possibilities of the coordinator actions in the process of inclusion of students with SEN. For the effectiveness of the research, a state school of Elementary School located at the city of Natal/RN was taken as an empiric field. It was selected as research subjects 4 coordinators, 2 teachers of the Multifunctional Resources Room and 2 teachers of 6th to 9th grades. The methodological approach that was used in this research is consistent with the qualitative approach, and it is configured as a case study, as it is understood that this type of research responds to the objective of the study, assuming the observation of everyday school life, the educational document analysis and interviews with the subjects as procedures and tools to build data. The construction and analysis of the data were followed by a dialogue with the literature dedicated to coordinating education and school enrollment. Considering the responsibilities of the contemporary pedagogical coordination due to the challenges and possibilities of schooling for all students, specially regarding to what is referred as collaborative work and ongoing training of teachers, this study points out to the lack of an articulated action related to the school inclusion process, considering the monitoring of the teaching activity and its dialogue with the Multifunctional Resources Room. Moreover, the emphasis on meeting the daily school routines and the compliance with bureaucratic procedures, put it into second, restructuring of the Political-Pedagogical and the possibility of mobilization of school around the problematization and systematization of an inclusive school project. The effectiveness of school s inclusion, therefore, implies the scaling of the functions of the pedagogical coordination, as well as the reorganization of the school it self, to ensure the mediation of collaborative actions, contemplating the teachers continuing education, having as a landmark difficulties, problems and experiences constructed in the school context

Inclusão do aluno com dismotria cerebral ontogenética: analise das práticas pedagógicas

Há poucas investigações quanto às práticas educativas escolas, ou seja, os procedimentos que são utilizados pelo educador para promover a aprendizagem de seus alunos. Deste modo, o objetivo deste trabalho é analisar as práticas educativas escolares, e verificar em que medida essas práticas contribuem para a inclusão do aluno com Necessidades Educacionais Especiais. O presente estudo optou pelo estudo exploratório contemplando observações em sala de aula, bem como, no ambiente escolar. As observações ocorriam semanalmente sem datas fixas, e em horários diferentes, a fim de que fosse possível observação num ambiente típico. Utilizou-se também a entrevista e a análise de documentos do aluno (redação, provas, atividades acadêmicas) e da escola. Participaram do presente estudo um aluno que apresenta dismotria cerebral ontogenética, sua mãe, bem como, as professoras que lecionaram à ele durante os anos de 2000 e 2001. Os dados coletados auxiliaram para definir a categoria que foi foco da presente pesquisa: desempenho e rendimento escolar e percepção do aluno sobre seu processo de aprendizagem. Como conclusão o presente estudo constatou que o processo de inclusão do aluno, no tocante à inclusão física social, responde até certo grau às suas necessidades. No entanto, do ponto de vista de aprendizagem, não houve inclusão educacional, as práticas educativas observadas não contemplavam a especificidade curricular e de aprendizagem a fim de atender às necessidades do aluno.

Inclusão escolar pela via da colaboração entre educação especial e educação regular

A preocupação sobre as práticas inclusivas nas escolas públicas no Brasil começou após a Declaração de Salamanca, com desafios e dúvidas. Ainda hoje, passados cerca de 15 anos, os professores do ensino regular se queixam dizendo que não têm conhecimento suficiente ou preparo formal para lidar com crianças com necessidades educacionais especiais, especialmente quando estas apresentam disfunções graves, como paralisia cerebral, deficiência intelectual e comportamentos desafiadores. A colaboração entre profissionais da Educação Especial e Regular pode ser uma alternativa para enfrentar tais desafios. O objetivo deste relato foi o de apresentar um breve histórico de um programa de pesquisa, ensino e extensão que busca aproximar a Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar) dos professores do ensino comum que têm alunos com necessidades especiais em suas salas de aula. Iniciado em 2004, este programa está na atualidade em seu sétimo ano de execução e envolve professores da universidade, estudantes de graduação e pós-graduação e professores do ensino comum. Os resultados parecem apontar essa via de colaboração entre Educação Especial e Regular como um caminho promissor para a construção de escolas mais inclusivas.

As características dos alunos são determinantes para o adoecimento de professores - um estudo comparativo sobre a incidência de Burnout em professores do ensino regular e especial

The practice of teaching is permeated by adverse working conditions, low wages, inadequacy of material and teaching resources, overcrowded classrooms, tension in relationships with the students, excessive work load, lack of safety in the school environment, insignificant participation in institutional planning and in institutional politics. The objective of the present study was to compare burnout among three groups of teachers who work in elementary grades: a) 20 teachers who teach in regular school classrooms without the inclusion of students with special educational needs - RSI Group; b) 20 teachers who teach in the regular classroom with special needs students - RCI Group; c) 20 teachers who teach in resource classrooms (SR Group). The instruments used for data collection were the Maslach Burnout Inventory -MBI. The data was analyzed by SPSS version 13.0 and Kruskal-Wallis test for comparison of the three groups. The results were organized in the form of figures and tables. In general, the results demonstrated that the groups presented relative similarity. The teachers from the SR Group obtained the best results in the evaluation of the three burnout scales when compared to the RSI Group and RCI Group, that is, there was a prevalence of answers in the lower levels of emotional exhaustion, high level of low personal accomplishment and low level for depersonalization. It is hoped that these results contribute to a better understanding of burnout in teachers from regular classrooms with or without students with educational special needs and/or to indicate new directions for investigation.

Educação inclusiva em cursos de licenciatura: um estudo sobre possibilidades e limitações da educação a distância (EaD) para formação de professores

Pós-graduação em Educação Escolar - FCLAR

Uma análise do serviço de ensino itinerante de apoio pedagógico à inclusão escolar na rede municipal de Araraquara

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Inclusão escolar: um estudo da formação continuada dos professores de educação física na cidade de Araraquara - SP

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)