“Eles não seguem o script”: as representações sociais de autista entre os educadores de um projeto não escolar de Teresópolis–RJ

Abstract

This dissertation, produced within the scope of the Study, Research and Extension Group Outside the Classroom of the Faculty of Teacher Training of the State University of Rio de Janeiro, had as its general objective to identify and analyze the social representations of autistic children elaborated by educators of an out-of-school educational project in the city of Teresópolis, RJ. A qualitative research based on fieldwork was conducted. Five educators and a principal participated in the study. Phenomenological observations of the field were made. Using this methodology, three field diaries were written, including at least one visit to the workshop of each educator interviewed. A rhetorical-philosophical analysis of the interviews was also carried out. With this technique, four thematic forums were obtained from the subjects' discourse: (1) “They don't follow the script” – the departure from the standard; (2) “He is sincere” – authenticity; (3) “Within his limitations” – the difficulties; and (4) “Like a butterfly” – development. The thematic forums indicated the presence of social representations of autistic people, whose figurative core is condensed in the first thematic forum, illustrated by the metaphor “they don’t follow the script”, and anchored in the idea that the autistic student ‘escapes from social standards of behavior, capacity and development’. The common belief existing in these representations was that the autistic student, by challenging the formative standards, personifies the principle of the negative of educability, but without actually considering the real student. Furthermore, the representations in connection with the socio-cognitive filters guided two styles of pedagogical practices: one with an emphasis on the acquisition of skills and the other with an emphasis on socialization. Neither of these are fully aligned with the promotion of the culture of human proximity postulated by the Pedagogy of Hospitality. Finally, the social marking of the educators encompassed the roles of “facilitator”, “mentor” and “bridge” of the development of the autistic student. When compared to the allegorical figure of the “demiurge” (a deity who transposes an ideal universe into another material one), this role of ‘development facilitator’ makes it difficult to exercise the listening role necessary for the educator’s relationship with/to his/her student. It is concluded that the data point to the need for expanded studies comparing this to other educational contexts.