Concepções de profissionais da educação infantil acerca da inclusão de crianças com microcefalia decorrente do vírus zika

Abstract

Studies have reported that fetal infection caused by the Zika virus leads to the so-called congenital syndrome by ZIKV, producing several disabilities, which go beyond microcephaly, a congenital anomaly that has complex and multifactorial causalities. With the outbreak of Zika virus fever in 2015 and the increase in cases of microcephaly in fetuses of infected pregnant women, a new causality for microcephaly has becom x e evident. Research on this syndrome demonstrates the need for early sensory stimulation to minimize limitations and enhance human development since the early years, in contexts that may favor significant social interactions and, consequently, promote learning and development, such as Early Childhood Education spaces. Therefore, the general purpose of this research is to know and analyse the conceptions and expectations of early childhood education professionals about the development of children with microcephaly caused by Zika virus fetal infection. As specific purposes , we sought to collect epidemiological data about this group of children; describe the programs and projects developed by Early Childhood Education Institutions; apprehend the professionals' conceptions and expectations about the process of inclusion, learning and development of children with microcephaly associated with the Zika virus in public spaces of Early Childhood Education; list the professionals who work directly with the children; identify the roles of Early Childhood Education professionals in their work with these children. The participants of this study were three school principals, two teachers and a psychologist, who work or provide services for Early Childhood Education Institutions in João Pessoa / PB. Three semi-structured interview scripts, one for each professional category, and socio-demographic questionnaires were used as data collection tools. The procedures for data collection, organization and analysis followed the guidelines of Bardin (2011). The result of literature survey on the subject showed that studies with a neuropsychological bias, focusing on biological and individual aspects and care of children with microcephaly caused by fetal ZIKV infection, predominated. The results of the documentary analysis of the programs and actions developed in the local context about this group of children suggest this is only a medical and family issue. The predominant actions in these documents are health care assistance, such as childcare, early stimulation and specialized care, among other less frequent actions. Regarding the interviews, preliminary results reveal that the education professionals are little acquainted with the mentioned group, they claim not to be prepared for facilitating the process of inclusion of this public, and consider the difficulties of including those babies and children in the Early Childhood Education. As a major contribution, we aim to improve the knowledge about the group of children with microcephaly associated with ZIKV in their local context, as well propose a comprension of disability in two dimensions: biologycal and social. Therefore, the emphasis was in the social dimension in a interactive perspective, focusing the potencialities of development of person with desabilities. Also aiming to understand the process of inclusion of these children in Early Childhood Education Institutions, and thus planning inclusive intervention proposals, mediated by psychological knowledge, in order to promote their integral development.