Planning, implementation, and evaluation of occupational therapists’ actions in a support network for school inclusion

Abstract

Introduction: Working within support networks for school inclusion is a recurring recommendation in the literature on Special Education, emphasizing the adoption of diverse strategies to ensure the permanence and participation of students with disabilities. Objective: To analyze the process of planning, implementation, and evaluation of occupational therapists’ actions within a support network for the school inclusion of a student with cerebral palsy, enrolled in a Municipal Center for Early Childhood Education (CMEI) in Maceió, state of Alagoas, Brazil. Method: Developed under a qualitative approach, this investigation is characterized as action-research. The networkbased work followed the model and stages of Collaborative Consultation. Professionals from the CMEI involved with the student and a group of occupational therapists from the public health system participated in the study. The data obtained were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The network’s actions played a positive role in both the child’s participation in school activities and the participants’ reflections on the inclusion process and its interfaces. The collaborative process proved to be an important tool for professional development, both for the occupational therapists and for the CMEI staff. The analysis conducted supports the argument that an inclusive education policy aimed at ensuring the right to education for children with disabilities requires the implementation of a network of diversified support. Conclusion: It is suggested that future studies investigate contexts that already have diversified services to analyze their functioning, assess the level of collaboration, and identify ways to improve them.