TEACHING AND INCLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH AUTISM: THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGIES IN BUILDING ACCESSIBLE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

Schools that aim to be inclusive still face uncomfortable silences when it comes to truly embracing the uniqueness of students with autism. Daily practices reveal not only the lack of physical or methodological resources, but above all the lack of attentive listening, institutional availability, and pedagogical repertoires that recognize the complexity of neurodiverse experiences. It is in this gap between the discourse of inclusion and its concrete implementation that technologies can acquire a formative role, as long as they are not reduced to the condition of a technical tool. It is worth reflecting that this is not about uncritically attaching digital resources to the classroom, but about considering how these resources, when well mediated, contribute to breaking down exclusionary dynamics and expanding forms of sensitive participation in the school space. Perhaps it is precisely in the relational power of technologies — in the ways in which they can generate connections, translate feelings, or mediate language — that one of their greatest contributions to the inclusion of individuals with ASD resides. The objective of this study is to understand how the use of technologies can help create more accessible educational environments for students with autism, expanding their sense of belonging and listening in the school context. The research developed is bibliographical and qualitative, anchored in authors who problematize inclusion, digital devices and the ethical-pedagogical challenges of neurodiversity.