Teaching Practices for the Inclusion of Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Argentina during Times of COVID-19

Abstract

The objective of the study was to investigate whether the teaching practices developed in times of compulsory preventive social isolation in Argentina favor the inclusion, learning and autonomy of students with intellectual disabilities, in the opinion of their professionals supporting inclusion and of their families. An exploratory-descriptive design was carried out, with an intentional sampling. A semi-structured questionnaire was applied to 75 inclusion support professionals and 40 families of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities included in common schools of state and private management, in Córdoba (mainly) and other Argentine provinces. As a result, the State has not been able to guarantee access of its students with intellectual disabilities, under equal conditions, to emergency remote teaching not only for not ensuring the necessary technology and connectivity. The teaching task focused on homogeneous planning, leaving the curricular adaptations to the external support professionals, direct attention to the student with disabilities, and counseling for families. The teacher"s relationship with the student with intellectual disability shows poor communication, listening and a positive relationship. Consequently, many students have not reached the proposed learning objectives nor the expected autonomy.