MATHEMATICS TEACHING METHODOLOGIES AND SPECIFIC APPROACHES FOR TEACHING INDIVIDUALS WITH ASD: A STUDY WITH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TEACHERS

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has shown a significant increase in prevalence, raising direct implications for inclusive education and the teaching of Mathematics. This study, derived from research conducted within the Graduate Program in Science and Mathematics Education (PPGECIMAT), at the Franciscan University (UFN), aimed to investigate Basic Education teachers’ perceptions regarding the use of general Mathematics teaching methodologies and specific approaches designed for students with ASD. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining a literature review with an online questionnaire applied to teachers from the municipalities of Santa Maria, São Pedro do Sul, and Santiago, in Rio Grande do Sul. For quantitative analysis, Implicative Statistical Analysis (ASI) was employed to identify quasi-implicative relationships between variables related to pedagogical practices and teacher knowledge. The results indicate that teachers who use technological resources tend to adopt diversified methodologies, such as the History of Mathematics, expanding their didactic repertoire. Positive perceptions regarding the adequacy of certain methodologies were found to be associated with their effective implementation and stronger theoretical grounding. TEACCH and ABA emerged as the most recognized and applied methodologies for students with ASD. Additionally, Ethnomathematics and Mathematical Modeling were highlighted as highly appropriate for autistic students, due to their flexibility and applicability to real-life contexts. The findings suggest that, despite advances in the perception of inclusive practices, a persistent training gap still limits the effective implementation of specific methodologies.