A atuação do Núcleo de Apoio à Inclusão do Aluno com Necessidades Educacionais Especiais (Nape) na inclusão de graduandos com Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA) na Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA)

Abstract

This work focuses on the role of the Support Center for the Inclusion of Students with Special Educational Needs at the Federal University of Bahia (Nape/UFBA) in the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and poses the following research question: How does Nape UFBA work to include undergraduate students with autism at UFBA? To answer this question, the general objective was to analyze how Nape (Center for Support and Assistance to Undergraduate Students with Autism) operates to include undergraduate students with autism at the Federal University of Bahia, and the specific objectives were to describe how Nape functions and to identify specific actions taken with undergraduate students with autism. This is a descriptive and qualitative case study, conducted through interviews with two pedagogues from the center. The responses obtained were read and analyzed using Bardin's content analysis. The research findings demonstrate that Nape faces several challenges in its operation: difficulties in mediating between undergraduate students and professors, physical and attitudinal barriers, and a lack of investment in human resources to reach a greater number of students, given that the demand for the service has increased, both among undergraduate students with autism and those with other specific needs.