Ensino de língua inglesa para estudantes com TEA e com DI : desconstruindo representações capacitistas.

Abstract

People with disabilities are often represented through pejorative terms such as abnormal or incapable. According to Moscovici (2003), representations are socially constructed ideas about an object of interest, carrying the power to influence and guide people’s behavior toward the represented object. From this perspective, the present study aims at investigating the representations that shape the professional practice of a novice pre-service English teacher working with students with intellectual disabilities and autism. To this end, the study is grounded in the assumptions of Social Representations Theory (Moscovici, 2003) and in research on the representation of people with disabilities, autism, and intellectual disability (Costa, 2024; Lira, 2025; Silva, 2025). The data for qualitative analysis were generated through a reflective written report produced by the teacher about her initial experiences with two students with autism and one student with intellectual disability. The findings indicate that ableist representations related to students with autism and intellectual disability negatively influence the teacher’s perceptions and practices; however, classroom interaction promotes ruptures and reconfigurations of these representations.