Epilepsia na Educação Infantil: Desafios e possibilidades para a inclusão escolar

Abstract

Epilepsy is a complex neurological condition that manifests itself through epileptic seizures, affecting the electrical activity of the brain and impacting on the quality of life of people who live with this condition. This dissertation is linked to the research line “Practices and Formative Processes of Educators for Inclusive Education” and to the Study and Research Group on Learning Processes - GEP-ProA. Its aim is to investigate teachers' perceptions, attitudes and knowledge about epilepsy, to identify the relevant aspects to be included in an educational resource on the subject. The study was based on the Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology. Fourteen teachers from a municipal school in Greater São Paulo took part in the research, selected based on the criterion of being kindergarten teachers. For data collection, two questionnaires were applied in Google Forms format, one to collect data on the profile of the participants and their perceptions of people with epilepsy, and the other to validate the ebook. The first questionnaire was organized into two parts: the first addressed conceptual and attitudinal aspects, seeking to identify myths and beliefs about epilepsy, as well as the participants' feelings and behaviours. The second part is focused on issues related to the learning and school performance of children with epilepsy. The second questionnaire covered aspects of content, organization, structure, design, formatting, general satisfaction and additional comments about educational resources. The results showed that, although most of the participants have a basic knowledge of epilepsy, they are unaware of the appropriate procedures for dealing with epileptic seizures, and recognize that active participation in classes is fundamental for a good school performance of children with epilepsy. Based on this data, an informative ebook on epilepsy and on the teaching-learning process was produced and provided.