TEACHER TRAINING AS A DETERMINING FACTOR FOR THE INCLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH ASD

Abstract

Discussing school inclusion in contemporary times is not an optional choice, but a requirement imposed by the social and educational demands of the present day. Among the multiple aspects that permeate this discussion, a fundamental question stands out: what does it actually mean to include students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in regular education? Although Brazilian legislation guarantees the right to access education, it is clear that enrollment alone is not enough to guarantee effective inclusion. Practical experience reveals that the retention and meaningful learning of these students depend on concrete and structural conditions that go beyond formal compliance with the law. This article examines a crucial point in this process: teacher training. This is not a disproportionate emphasis, but rather a recognition of the central role of teachers in promoting inclusive practices. Evidence shows that poorly prepared education professionals tend to experience feelings of insecurity, helplessness, and frustration when faced with the challenges of inclusion. In contrast, teachers who have access to ongoing and contextualized training processes demonstrate a greater capacity to expand their pedagogical repertoires, developing more creative and effective responses to the needs of students with ASD. To support this analysis, national legal frameworks, established theoretical frameworks—such as those of Vygotsky, Bronfenbrenner, Tardif, and Nóvoa—as well as recent studies and research developed in Brazil are mobilized. The hypothesis guiding this work is simple, yet challenging: school inclusion is only fully realized when teachers are properly valued, supported, and trained to address diversity. Otherwise, there is a risk of reducing educational rights to a mere bureaucratic formality, depriving them of their transformative potential.