Teaching Environmental Science to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Including Environmentally Autistic Early Childhood Education

Inclusive Education

Abstract

We will present the results of a research that sought to (i) understand the difficulties that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have about the Teaching of Environmental Sciences and, along with this, (ii) aimed to highlight possibilities to promote environmental inclusion in the midst of teaching and learning processes linked to the Early Childhood Education of these students. ASD is characterized by neurological disorders in which the subject has difficulties in communication, social interaction and sensory alterations. The methodology adopted – academic activities prior to the preparation of our educational product – were linked to (i) bibliographic research and (ii) semi-structured interviews with which we collected information from teachers who work with autistic children. This work is justified by the help to educators interested in including autistic students environmentally; thus, the public served by it was composed of: (a) teachers of children with ASD and (b) autistic children taught by them. We found that teachers have some inaccuracies about what ASD is and its implications in the teaching and learning process of autistic children, especially with regard to Environmental Sciences. Because of this, we developed an instructional "folder" capable of assisting them in this process.