Conceptions of education and health professionals on Inclusive Education: reflections for transforming practices

Doi: 10.15343/0104-7809.200832.2.1

Abstract

Inclusion of people with deficiencies has been the subject of debates and studies, particularly in the field of Education, due to the legal reality
that guarantees to this segment of the population the right to frequent regular schools, independently of their peculiarities. For the best understanding
of this field, this research was delineated that aims to identify conceptions of inclusive education of education and health professionals, in order to
identify actions supporting the construction of a school environment devoted to diversity. Subjects were 90 educators working in Children Education and
Elementary and Secondary Education, from public and private schools, and 50 health professionals (occupational therapists, phonoaudiologists, physiotherapists,
doctors, nurses, psychologists) that work with people having deficiencies. The sample was defined on the basis of the theoretical saturation
principle. Data were gathered with a questionnaire in which it was asked to subjects whether they were against the inclusion of pupils with deficiencies in
the regular school, absolutely pro or partially pro, and why. From the answer to the question “why?” the following categories of analysis were elaborated
(a posteriori): right, conception of deficiency, support, education, attitude and structure. The analysis of the subjects answers points to a conception of
deficiencies as illnesses and an idea of pupil with deficiencies as a problem that the school would not be prepared to face. We conclude that the work for
the construction of an inclusive school must entail necessarily actions aimed at changing conceptions on deficiency.