Training in Behavior Analysis in the Context of Special Education: Personal and Attitudinal Variables Related to Inclusion

Abstract

The educational inclusion of students with autism and/or intellectual disabilities in regular education has highlighted the urgency of initial and continuing education programs with evidence-based educational practices. The objective was to evaluate the structure of a remote training process for the elaboration, application and evaluation of a behavioral intervention in the inclusive educational perspective and, complementarily, a specific objective was to characterize the social attitudes of educational agents participating in the training. The training took place in two formats. In the first, all material was made available in a shared folder and in the second, in a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). In both formats, the structure had a theoretical and practical part, by reading and carrying out exercises and discussions. In the practical part, participants had the opportunity to work with families and students with autism and/or intellectual disability to identify the needs and priorities of the family for the collaborative elaboration of an intervention plan (systematization of practices), implementation and analysis of practices. For the characterization of the sample, personal information, previous experiences, familiarity with technological tools, and knowledge about the theoretical concepts of Behavior Analysis were collected. A characterization of social attitudes towards inclusion was carried out and the social validity of participants regarding training was analyzed. The results of the training identified correlations between the level of social attitudes and engagement in the practical activities delivered, in addition to the relationship between the drop in the number of participants, the fulfillment of tasks and difficulties in contacting the family. The study discussed strategies that aim at possibilities of scaling continuing education in a systematic and scientific way in this area of professional activity.

Keywords:
Autism; Special Education; Interdisciplinary Team; Educational Inclusion