Nível de formação de educadores de infância e sua Influência na eficácia das práticas inclusivas de crianças em idade pré-escolar com transtorno do espectro autista, no Centro Infantil Xicoração-Maputo, 2025

Abstract

This research, entitled “Level of Training of Early Childhood Educators and its Influence on the Effectiveness of Inclusive Practices for Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, at the Xicoração Children's Center - Maputo, 2025”, aimed to analyze how the training level of early childhood educators influences the effectiveness of inclusive practices for preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It was based on a case study conducted at the Xicoração Children's Center in Maputo City, employing a qualitative methodology to understand the phenomenon from an interpretative and contextualized perspective, focusing on the experiences, perceptions, and practices of the educators. Data collection involved a socio-demographic questionnaire and, specifically, semi-structured interviews as a data collection technique, applied to four educators, as well as non-participant observation, to assess the degree of inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder. It is concluded that several factors contribute significantly to the effectiveness of inclusive practices for children with ASD, in addition to the level of training of educators. Thus, there are two main perspectives: on the one hand, some educators argue that it is not the level of training that is the determining factor, but rather experience; on the other hand, educators affirm that the level of training does influence this process. However, the need for an intrinsic relationship between work experience, which corresponds to practice, and the level of training of early childhood educators is evident, since these are two factors that are not mutually exclusive, but complementary