Autism spectrum disorder and school development: a cohort study of public elementary school students
Teaching and learning. Inclusion. Autism Spectrum Disorder. Education.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a disorder associated with neurodevelopment with difficulty in socialization, communication, repetitive and restricted activities. The causes are not yet well defined, but may be related to genetic, environmental and neurobiological factors. Data demonstrate that sensory processing dysfunction in children with ASD can reach 90%. This study aims to evaluate the association between Autism Spectrum Disorder and the academic performance of elementary school students in the public network of Araripe – CE. This is a prospective cohort study, associated with a qualitative descriptive study with 46 students studying from the 2nd to the 9th year in 11 municipal elementary schools located in the city of Araripe, Ceará, 23 with ASD and 23 without ASD. This last group will be formed randomly and will be matched to the group with ASD by study series (1:1). In addition, managers and teachers will also participate in the study, aiming to capture the conception of these professionals about the teaching-learning process of students with ASD through a script-guided interview. Data analysis will occur in two stages, the first referring to school performance through the grades contained in the report cards, and the second will be the content analysis from the questionnaires applied to professionals. The project will be submitted for consideration by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Cariri- UFCA through the Brasil platform.