PROFILE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS IN THE MUNICIPAL NETWORK OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION OF COLATINA/ES: Diagnostic classification as an invention of a student who is absent
Name: DANIELLA AUGUSTA MUNERAT SESANA
Publication date: 01/04/2025
Examining board:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| ELIZABETE BASSANI | Presidente |
| JAIR RONCHI FILHO | Examinador Interno |
| LYGIA DE SOUSA VIÉGAS | Examinador Externo |
Summary: In recent decades, studies have shown a significant increase in the number of students with medical diagnoses in Brazilian schools. Many of these students are now classified as part of the target audience for Special Education. This study aims to identify the profile of elementary school students enrolled in the municipal education network of Colatina/ES who are part of this target group between 2018 and 2023, along with their diagnostic classifications. It also seeks to understand how Special Education policies have been historically established in Brazil. The research is grounded in a critical theoretical framework. While overall enrollment in elementary education in Colatina increased by 8.22% between 2018 and 2023, the number of students in Special Education grew by 55.35% in the same period—a striking disparity. To investigate this phenomenon, we conducted a quantitative and qualitative documentary study involving 4,514 students identified as part of the Special Education target audience during this timeframe. Data analysis was performed using Stata software, version 18.2 (StataCorp LP, College Station, USA), through descriptive statistics, simple frequency tables, and intersectional graphs. The data examined included diagnostic classifications, age, gender, race/color, school year and shift, neighborhood of residence, family income, among other variables. The findings indicate that most of these students are male, with a notable prevalence of those identified as Black, reinforcing a historical pattern of exclusion and classification within the educational setting. These students predominantly live in urban, socially occupied areas marked by high socioeconomic vulnerability. The highest number of diagnoses was observed among students aged 10 and 11, during the transition from early to later elementary grades. However, a decline in diagnoses was noted by the 9th grade, a stage where many students experience marginalization within the school environment.Furthermore, the study identified a substantial increase in diag noses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), reflecting both national and international trends that suggest a possible "diagnostic epidemic." This raises critical questions about evaluation criteria and the implications of diagnoses in educational contexts. Diagnoses based on subjective criteria increased throughout the analyzed period, whereas those based on objective criteria remained relatively stable. These findings underscore the need for critical reflection on identification and classification processes in schools and their impact on students' educational trajectories. The analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of the medicalization and pathologization processes in Special Education in Colatina. As part of this research, an educational product was developed through a continuing education program for the team at the Multiprofessional Education Center (CEMP), a division of the Municipal Department of Education. The training aimed to present the profile of students in Special Education, foster critical reflection on medicalizing processes, and promote the construction of demedicalizing practices. As a result, the study highlights the importance of re-signifying educational practices in the municipality by moving away from reliance on medical reports and reaffirming the school as a pedagogical, rather than a clinical, space.
