Desenhos de investigação de sujeito único em educação especial

Abstract

With a quantitative and experimental nature, single-subject research designs are a group of rigorous scientific methods, internationally recognized as sources of data that can be used to establish evidencebased practices in special education. This study aimed to describe the main characteristics of and quality criteria for this type of research designs, to discuss their usefulness in special education and early childhood intervention, and to investigate their incidence in the research conducted in Portugal in these fields. Based on a systematic search in national publications in the fields of special education, education, and psychology, and in scientific and general online search engines, only five master thesis that used single-subject designs were identified, suggesting that, despite their potential, these research designs are still virtually inexistent in the research conducted, in Portugal, in the fields of special education and early childhood intervention.