Article

Neuroscience And Learning In Education

September 16, 2026

Inclusive Assessment Practices for Students with ASD in Basic Education: A Knowledge Study

Marina de Freitas Fortes; Adriessa Santos

DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-202602277

Article derived from a Final Course Work (TCC), with content based on the student’s original work and adapted to the editorial format of the Revista E&S with the support of the ResumeAI tool, an artificial intelligence solution developed by the Pecege Institute for textual synthesis and organization.

Abstract

Educational assessment is a fundamental pillar for overcoming gaps and promoting learning, recognized by national and international guidelines, being crucial for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study aimed to map the national scientific production on inclusive assessment practices for students with ASD in Basic Education, aiming to support the elaboration of Individualized Educational Plans. A quali-quantitative, exploratory research was conducted through a systematic literature review. The search focused on theses and dissertations published in the last five years (from 2025 onwards) in the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD), using descriptors such as “autism spectrum disorder” and “educational assessment”, “continuous assessment” or “learning assessment”. The results indicated that scientific production did not keep pace with the increase in enrollment of students with ASD, and no correlation was observed between the volume of enrollments and academic production by region. Gaps were identified in research on High School and curricular components beyond Portuguese Language and Mathematics. The analyzed research emphasized the importance of considering social and emotional aspects, in addition to cognitive ones, in the assessment process. The study provided indications for future investigations, aiming to improve responses to the needs of students with ASD in assessments.

Keywords: Educational assessment; Basic education; Assessment strategies; Inclusion; Autism spectrum disorder.

1. Introduction

Educational assessment is a fundamental pillar for overcoming learning gaps, being recognized by important national and international guidelines. Initiatives such as the National Pact for Learning Recovery, from the Ministry of Education (MEC, 2024), and the RAPID Framework (Framework for Learning Recovery and Acceleration), proposed by Unesco, Unicef, and the World Bank (Sanchéz, 2023), emphasize the centrality of assessment. In this context, assessment is understood in its diagnostic function, aiming to identify gaps and support pedagogical interventions, and not merely as a classification tool (Luckesi, 2011).

In Brazil, the right to education is guaranteed by the Federal Constitution of 1988 and by the Law of Directives and Bases of National Education (LDB), Law nº 9.394/1996, which establishes the continuous and cumulative verification of school performance, with a predominance of qualitative aspects (Brazil, 1996). For Special Education students, the LDB provides specific curricula, methods, techniques, resources, and organizations. Additionally, the Brazilian Inclusion Law (Law 13.146/2015) and the LDB support the development of the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP), an essential tool for ensuring equity and promoting the development and learning of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other disabilities, considering their individual needs.

Despite the legal framework, the implementation of inclusive assessment practices for students with ASD in Basic Education faces significant challenges. Data from the School Census 2024 (INEP, 2024) reveal a significant increase in the number of enrollments of students with ASD, from 636,202 in 2023 to 1,918,877 in 2024, representing a 44% growth. This contingent of students with ASD corresponds to four percent of the total enrollments in Brazilian education and ninety-one percent of enrollments in Special Education.

However, there is no clear regulation in Brazil indicating how these students should be assessed, and the adaptations present in systems like Saeb do not primarily aim at the inclusion of students with ASD. The absence of clear guidelines for the development of IEPs results in a heterogeneous construction, with disparities in the quality and effectiveness of the plans. This regulatory gap makes it difficult to accurately identify educational deficits, which can lead to imprecise diagnoses, grade repetition, and school dropout, hindering the democratization of education (Luckesi, 2011).

National academic production on the topic also presents notable gaps. A disproportion is observed between the increase in enrollment of students with ASD and the scientific production that addresses their assessment practices. There is a lack of studies focused on High School, a crucial stage of the school trajectory where dropout and failure rates for students with Special Education are concerning, and where age-grade distortion reaches 34.5% for students with disabilities (INEP, 2024). Furthermore, most research focuses on Portuguese Language and Mathematics, neglecting other curricular components provided for by the National Common Curricular Base (Brazil, 2018).

Considering the importance of assessment for the recomposition of learning and the democratization of education, and the need to develop practices that promote self-perception of ability and high expectations for all students (Brookhart, 2017; OECD, 2016), this study is justified by the urgency to fill these knowledge gaps. This study aims to identify national scientific publications that support a continuous assessment process for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, analyzing these productions to identify trends, gaps, and implications for assessment practices and the construction of Individualized Educational Plans.

2. Material and Methods

This research had an exploratory, quali-quantitative nature, and was carried out through bibliographic research and systematic literature review in academic databases. Bibliographic research was chosen because it allows a broad analysis of the national landscape of scientific production (Gil, 2002), seeking to identify patterns, trends, and gaps in inclusive assessment practices for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Basic Education.

The bibliographic survey used the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD), maintained by the Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology (IBICT), due to its comprehensiveness and reliability in integrating Brazilian master’s and doctoral research. Other repositories, such as SciELO and the CAPES Periodicals Portal, were excluded to avoid overlapping sources, prioritizing more robust research documents (theses and dissertations) and avoiding duplication.

To prioritize updated research, the temporal scope defined was the last 5 years, starting from 2025. The descriptors used in the search were: “autism spectrum disorder” and “educational assessment”, “autism spectrum disorder” and “continuous assessment” or “autism spectrum disorder” and “learning assessment”.

The initial search resulted in 94 documents for the combination “Autism spectrum disorder” and “Educational assessment”, 87 for “Autism spectrum disorder” and “Continuous assessment” and 8 for “Autism spectrum disorder” and “Learning assessment”. 43 studies produced before 2020 were eliminated and, subsequently, the overlaps, leaving 114 productions.

During the filtering process, reading the abstracts of the selected theses and dissertations allowed the identification of the central subjects of each research, described by tags such as “Evaluation”, “Teacher Training”, “Inclusive Public Policies”, and “IEPs”. Research whose tags were “Evaluation”, “Teacher Training”, “Inclusive Public Policies”, “IEPs”, and “Others” were considered relevant for the second filtering stage, and those that exclusively addressed aspects of the health area or issues associated with the disorder’s diagnosis were excluded, eliminating 79 studies. A second reading, focused on the introduction and specific aspects of the remaining 35 theses and dissertations, eliminated another 20 documents, 8 of which were due to unavailability of files for consultation. The final corpus for analysis was composed of 15 works.

The corpus analysis sought to identify trends and map them, performing data cross-referencing such as research type and period, number of students with ASD enrolled in Basic Education and in the same region, type of adaptation strategy adopted, scope of application, and strategy effectiveness.

The methodological procedures for corpus collection are synthesized in Table 1.

Table 1. Methodological procedures for corpus survey

StepMovementProcedure
Stage ISurvey of works published in BDTD in the last 5 yearsSearch for descriptors; reading of title and keywords
Stage IIPre-analysis of the corpus, to verify relevance in relation to the reading hypothesisReading of dissertation and thesis abstracts
Stage IIISecond stage of corpus pre-analysis, more in-depth, to disambiguate issues regarding relevance to the reading hypothesisReading of the introduction and specific chapters of theses and dissertations
Stage IVAnalysis of selected dissertations and theses; data tabulation; search for trendsFull corpus reading and trend identification, mapped in graphs
Step VDetailed analysis and resultsFull corpus reading, conclusion and article writing

Source: Original research data

The project’s limitation to a single database and a five-year time frame constituted a methodological limitation, which led to a reduced number of studies analyzed.

3. Results and Discussion

The initial stages of searching and filtering theses and dissertations in the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD) indicated that 30% of the searches were potentially relevant to school evaluation, but only 6% addressed it as a primary theme. This finding contradicts the expectation of a broad discussion on evaluation, given its national and international relevance for overcoming educational gaps.

Among the eliminated productions, a prevalence of studies focused on classroom practices or specific teaching (23%), health (8%), and diagnostic aspects of the disorder (7%) was observed. Less recurrent themes included Higher Education, school management, family relationships, educational platforms, and socio-emotional aspects. The second filtering stage revealed that, of the 27 works addressing teacher training, public policies, Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs), and inconclusive topics, only nine satisfactorily dealt with school assessment.

The search for the term “evaluation”, excluding its medical sense, showed that only 21% of the works referred to school evaluation. This suggests a mismatch between academic production and the importance attributed to evaluation by public policies and the educational market. The lesser attention to the theme can be explained by the combination of the concept of evaluation with the focus on students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), indicating a lack of specific guidelines for the evaluation of this audience. The limitation of the research base to the BDTD, although justified for this study, may also have influenced the scope of the results.

The final corpus analyzed was composed of 15 works. Data tabulation revealed a prevalence of master’s productions (80%) compared to doctoral productions (20%). The three doctoral theses were defended in 2022, 2023, and 2025, while the dissertations were distributed in 2020 (1), 2021 (1), 2023 (4), 2024 (4), and 2025 (2).

When analyzing the association between scientific production in Higher Education and the number of enrollments of students with ASD in Basic Education, it was observed that the increase in the number of enrollments of Special Education students, surveyed from 2016 to 2024, was not proportionally reflected in academic production. Between 2020 and 2021, the increase in enrollments was 3.21%, the lowest percentage. However, between 2021 and 2022, there was a significant increase of 13.09%, the highest to date. The drop in dissertation production in 2025, despite the continuous growth in enrollments from 2022 onwards, weakens the hypothesis of a direct association, suggesting that the research producing public may not be the same teaching public impacted by the admission of these students.

Table 2 presents the organization of the surveys by year, title, type, author, and institution, detailing the analyzed corpus.

Table 2. Organization of research by year, title, type, author, and institution

YearTitleTypeAuthorsInstitutions
2023Pedagogical assessment roadmap for students with Autism Spectrum DisorderDissertationSilva, Michele Joia daFederal Fluminense University (UFF)
2024The feedback from the evaluation in the process of inclusion, teaching, and learning of mathematics for students with autism spectrum disorderDissertationCruz, Francerly Cardoso daUniversity of Brasília (UnB)
2025Continuing education program for the attendance of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Physical Education classesDissertationGiovanella, Adriana HisterState University of the West of Paraná (UNIOESTE)
2022Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the context of the state education network of ParanáThesisSantos, Shirley Aparecida dosFederal University of Paraná (UFPR)
2020Autism Spectrum Disorder: Role of the Pedagogical Support Teacher in Elementary EducationDissertationPrause, Vanessa FernandezState University of the West of Paraná (UNIOESTE)
2024Importance of continuing education and inclusive education: a theoretical-practical approach to the educational process in Monteiro/PBDissertationBezerra, Elijane da RochaState University of Paraíba (UEPB)
2023Assessment of learning and school inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): perceptions, pedagogical practice, and barriers encountered by Science teachers.DissertationBregue, Sthefani BorgesFederal University of Pelotas (UFPEL)
2025Public policies and inclusive education in Fortaleza: an evaluation of teacher training and pedagogical practices adopted with autistic childrenDissertationGirão, Suelen AguiarFederal University of Ceará (UFC)
2023Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: pedagogical and methodological proceduresDissertationCastro, Felipe CarvalhoUnivates University Center (UNIVATES)
2025Analysis of individualized development plans for students with autism spectrum disorderThesisMello, Graziele Perpétua FernandesSão Paulo State University (UNESP)
2023Individualized Educational Plan and technology: contributions in educational practice for the inclusion of students with autismThesisCosta, Daniel da SilvaFederal University of Pelotas (UFPEL)
2023Socio-Academic Assessment Protocol for School Support of Autistic Students in the Classroom: evaluating behavioral, cognitive-verbal, and adaptive aspectsDissertationTorres, Amanda da Silva PereiraFederal Fluminense University (UFF)
2024Specialized educational support: pedagogical assessment in students with intellectual disabilityDissertationBotelho, Thays de FatimaSão Paulo State University (UNESP)
2024Assessment of learning in the context of post-remote teaching: welcoming practices for ASD in the inclusive classroomDissertationLadeira, Thacio AzevedoSão Paulo State University (UNESP)
2021Description of the school learning of children with autism spectrum disorder in the areas of mathematics, reading, and writingDissertationThomazini, Hélida Lucia PauliniSão Paulo State University (UNESP)

Source: Original research data

Figure 1 illustrates the evolution of enrollments in special education in basic education in Brazil between 2020 and 2024, showing constant growth.

Figure 1. Enrollment evolution by educational network – special education – basic education – Brazil – 2020 – 2024.

Source: School Census. Available at: https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrljoiN2ViNDBjNDEtMTM0OC00ZmFhLWIyZWYtZjI1YjU0NzQzMTJhliwidCI6IjI2ZjczODk3LWM4YWMtNGIxZS05NzhmLWVhNGMwNzc0MzRiZiJ9. Accessed on: January, 2026.

In geographical terms, the concentration of Special Education enrollments, according to data from the 2024 Census, is higher in the states of the North Region. However, none of these states are among those with the highest concentration of scientific production, which reinforces the hypothesis of a dissociation between the volume of enrollments and academic research.

Table 3 details the distribution of enrollments in Basic Education by state, including the percentage of students in Special Education.

Table 3. Distribution of enrollments in Basic Education

StateNumber of enrollmentsEnrollments in Special EducationPercentage of Special Education students
Rondônia248.34020.0978,09%
Acre2.498.963149.8236,00%
Amazonas869.37951.1315,88%
Roraima2.227.679129.5435,82%
Pará213.71212.3735,79%
Amapá2.132.934123.3675,78%
Tocantins3.416.549181.7345,32%
Maranhão949.12547.9695,05%
Piauí383.84919.0214,96%
Ceará1.550.14975.5014,87%
Rio Grande do Norte829.54940.3784,87%
Paraíba385.30718.7474,87%
Pernambuco1.768.87481.9414,63%
Alagoas783.19036.1424,61%
Sergipe4.294.157194.8524,54%
Bahia863.73238.4154,45%
Minas Gerais679.59629.4104,33%
Espírito Santo2.121.95489.0074,19%
Rio de Janeiro526.78622.0924,19%
São Paulo898.48235.5073,95%
Paraná2.206.87186.7373,93%
Santa Catarina629.59324.6973,92%
Rio Grande do Sul3.421.235130.8753,83%
Mato Grosso do Sul1.850.98470.6203,82%
Mato Grosso185.6576.7563,64%
Goiás9.998.443324.9063,25%
Federal District1.153.83335.1843,05%

Source: Statistical synopsis of Basic Education, 2024.

Figure 2 shows the state distribution of the scientific production surveyed, with São Paulo, Paraná, and Rio Grande do Sul presenting the largest concentrations of studies.

Figure 2. State distribution of the scientific production surveyed

Source: Original research data

A congruence was observed between the concentration of scientific production in São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, and Paraná and the states’ general innovation ranking (CNI, 2025), where these states occupy the top positions. The absence of Rio de Janeiro, second in the ranking, may be attributed to the unavailability of consultation of materials from a specific federal university.

The themes addressed in the analyzed productions converge on the perspective that evaluation is a fundamental pillar in the teaching-learning process, aligning with the concept of diagnostic evaluation (Luckesi, 2011). However, the application excerpts and the proposed adaptation strategies vary.

Regarding the age group, most studies (six) addressed the entire Elementary School, while three focused on Early Childhood Education and Early Years, one only on Early Years, and two on Later Years. Three studies did not specify an age group. A disadvantage of High School was noted, despite it being a stage with distinct characteristics. The 2024 Census indicates that the number of Special Education students in High School is lower (262,234) compared to Elementary School (1,285,775) and Early Childhood Education (375,383).

Neglect of High School can worsen grade repetition and school dropout rates. In the 2024 Census, the failure rate for Special Education students in High School was 4.6%, and the dropout rate was 2.5%, totaling over 7% of students with impacts on their academic trajectory. Grade repetition is directly linked to the assessment scenario, often influenced by low academic performance and lack of support. Furthermore, the age-grade distortion rate for Special Education students in High School is 34.5%, indicating that they are attending the stage two or more years behind, which can affect self-perception. The National Policy for Inclusive Special Education (Decree No. 12.686) emphasizes the need for reasonable accommodations and the reduction of age-grade distortion.

Regarding the curricular component, only five studies focused on specific areas: Physical Education (1), Sciences (1), Mathematics (3), and Portuguese Language (2). The predominance in Portuguese Language and Mathematics reflects the centrality of these components in practical life and in national policies, such as the National Commitment to Literacy for Children and the National Commitment to All Mathematics, in addition to assessments like Saeb, which historically prioritize these areas.

The thematic approaches of the research were divided into two categories: 1. Proposition of specific evaluation strategies (four works) and 2. Evaluation from a theoretical and generalized perspective (eleven works). The studies in the first category include “Pedagogical evaluation roadmap for schoolchildren with Autism Spectrum Disorder”, “The feedback of evaluation in the process of inclusion, teaching and learning of mathematics for students with autism spectrum disorder”, “Socio-Academic Evaluation Protocol for School Support of Autistic Students in the Classroom: evaluating behavioral, cognitive-verbal and adaptive aspects” and “Description of the school learning of children with autism spectrum disorder in the areas of mathematics, reading and writing”. The other works, including a study conducted in Monteiro, addressed the inclusion of students with ASD more broadly, touching upon evaluation to highlight the need for flexibilization and adaptations.

The analysis of “Analysis of Individualized Development Plans for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder”, belonging to the second group, revealed that, although the students’ difficulties were reported in the plans, not all of them promoted the elaboration of specific objectives for these difficulties. The objectives were often broad, making measurement difficult, and there was no temporal dimension of evaluation foreseen. These findings highlight the lack of clear guidelines for the elaboration of IEPs, which can compromise their effectiveness and the use of evaluation as a strategy for planning teaching and learning pathways.

Among the studies that propose specific evaluation strategies, the “Pedagogical Assessment Roadmap for Schoolchildren with Autism Spectrum Disorder” suggests a leveling roadmap for pedagogical screening, aiming at the adaptation of curricula and materials. This roadmap, based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) practices, is organized into four leveling stages (motor aspects, object assimilation, writing, and literacy), with tasks scored from 0 to 3. ABA is recognized for its benefits in non-biological therapies for ASD, such as DTT, EIBI, VBI, and PRT, focusing on the reduction of maladaptive behaviors and the reinforcement of desirable skills (Medavarapu, 2019).

In “The evaluation feedback in the process of inclusion, teaching and learning of mathematics for students with autism spectrum disorder”, the author advocates for feedback as an essential tool for valuing the student’s prior knowledge and stimulating self-perception. Adequate feedback should address cognitive and emotional factors, promoting self-esteem and motivation. The “Socio-Academic Assessment Protocol for School Support of Autistic Students in the Classroom: evaluating behavioral, cognitive-verbal, and adaptive aspects” proposes educational and behavioral interventions, with a protocol divided into 13 dimensions (Behavior, Area of Interest, Comprehension, Collaboration, Communication, Self-care Activities, Functional Activities, Oral Language, Logical Mathematical Reasoning, Motor Skills, Written Language, Social and Adaptive Skills, Sensory Characteristics) and 105 items, scored according to the impairment. Its application aims to outline goals for the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP).

The research “Description of the school learning of children with autism spectrum disorder in the areas of mathematics, reading, and writing” highlighted the importance of extending standard time for test application, resulting in more reliable data when considering moments of attention, dispersion, and alternation with playful proposals. This research reinforces the need for evaluation for intervention and warns about the negative impacts of inadequate evaluation on the development of limiting beliefs, emphasizing that each student with ASD must perceive themselves as capable of learning.

The discussion on effective feedback (Brookhart, 2017) highlights its importance for understanding errors and building new knowledge, and it should be clear, detailed, and address cognitive and motivational aspects. External and internal feedback shape students’ learning and beliefs (Butler and Winne, 1995, apud Brookhart, 2017). A culture of high expectations, where the development potential of each student is believed in, is crucial, as low expectations can lead to a “self-fulfilling prophecy” and poorer performance (OECD, 2016).

Regarding the effectiveness of the proposals, three studies presented results. The proposals were implemented in small groups, limiting the sampling. For Silva, the pedagogical evaluation script encountered no resistance and was valued by the teaching staff. In Cruz, teachers engaged in feedback, but with a more motivational than cognitive focus. Torres indicated that 100% of the teachers recognized the validity of the evaluation protocol, although 90% reported difficulties in its use and 50% attributed this difficulty to the scoring method. All research highlighted the need for teacher training for the implementation of the strategies, aligning with the competencies of the BNC-Formação (MEC, 2019) which emphasize students’ knowledge and their learning.

In summary, the study mapped national production on inclusive assessment practices for students with ASD in Basic Education. It was observed that the increase in enrollment of students with ASD was not accompanied by proportional growth in scientific production, especially in High School. There is a tendency to focus on Portuguese Language and Mathematics, suggesting gaps in other curricular areas. Although few studies propose specific strategies, there is a consensus on the importance of assessments that consider cognitive, social, and emotional aspects, avoiding the formation of limiting beliefs. The analyzed research, despite its limited samples, indicates the need for replication of procedures and continuous investment in teacher training to improve assessment practices and ensure the effective inclusion of students with ASD.

4. Conclusion

This study aimed to map national scientific production on inclusive assessment practices for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Basic Education, in order to support the development of Individualized Educational Plans. It was found that the volume of scientific production did not keep pace with the expressive growth in enrollments of students with ASD in the last five years, and no correlation was observed between the number of enrollments and academic research by region. Significant research gaps were identified, especially regarding High School and curricular components beyond Portuguese Language and Mathematics. The findings indicated that, although few studies proposed specific assessment strategies, there is a consensus on the need to consider social and emotional aspects, in addition to cognitive ones, in the assessment process, aiming to avoid the formation of limiting beliefs and promote self-perception of ability. The main contribution lies in the identification of trends and gaps that can guide the development of clearer guidelines for the construction of effective IEPs.

The methodological limitation of this study lay in the restriction of the research base to the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD) and the temporal scope of the last five years, which resulted in a reduced analyzed corpus. This delimitation may have influenced the scope of the results. The studies that presented proposals for evaluation strategies did so with limited samples, suggesting the need to replicate these procedures in diverse contexts to increase confidence in their effectiveness. It is suggested that future studies explore scientific production in other databases and expand the temporal scope, in addition to investigating the identified gaps in High School and other curricular components, and deepening teacher training as a pillar for the implementation of inclusive evaluation practices and improvement of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

Bibliographic References

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BRASIL. Lei nº 9.394, de 20 de dezembro de 1996. Estabelece as diretrizes e bases da educação nacional. Brasília: Presidência da República, Casa Civil, Subchefia para Assuntos Jurídicos,. Disponível em: https://www2.senado.leg.br/bdsf/bitstream/handle/id/529732/lei_de_diretrizes_e_bases_1ed.pdf. Acesso em: setembro, 2025.

BRASIL. Ministério da Educação (MEC). Guia para Implementação da Recomposição das Aprendizagens. Brasília, DF: MEC, 2024. Disponível em: https://www.gov.br/mec/pt-br/recomposicao-aprendizagens/guia-recomposicao-aprendizagens.pdf. Acesso em: setembro, 2025.

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BROOKHART, S. M. How to Give Effective Feedback to Your Students. Alexandria: ASCD, 2017.

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Confederação Nacional da Indústria. Índice de inovação dos estados 25 / Confederação Nacional da Indústria, Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Ceará, Observatório da Indústria Ceará. – Fortaleza : CNI, 2025. Disponível em: https://www.observatorio.ind.br/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Indice-de-Inovacao-dos-Estados-2025.pdf. Acesso em: dezembro, 2025.

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Emotions Pilot: a Guide to developing children who know how to think, feel and act

The development of Executive Functions in childhood is fundamental for academic success, social adaptation, and mental health; however, the transfer of neuroscientific knowledge to the daily lives of parents and educators represented a challenge due to language barriers and complexity. The study sought to develop and evaluate the didactic guide “Piloto das Emoções” (Pilot of Emotions), aimed at parents and educators of children aged 3 to 12 years, with the objective of translating neuroscientific findings on Executive Functions into practical strategies. The methodology employed a mixed, exploratory, and descriptive approach, which involved the elaboration of the Guide with the aid of playful characters and its validation through an online questionnaire. This was applied to an intentional sample of 34 participants, composed of parents and educators from São Paulo. Data analysis used a mixed methodology, integrating quantitative (Likert Scale) and qualitative (open-ended responses) data, and applied the Wilcoxon Test to compare participants’ knowledge before and after reading the Guide. The results indicated unanimous approval of the Guide regarding applicability and relevance, with a significant increase in participants’ self-declared knowledge, which rose from an average of 6.6 to 9.4 points (p

Keywords: Child development; Executive functions; Socioemotional skills; Learning mediation; Applied neuroscience.

Neuroscience And Learning In Education

October 13, 2026

Political Pedagogical Project: investigating conceptions and proposing paths to develop socio-emotional competencies

The development of socio-emotional skills represents a growing demand in the contemporary educational landscape, driven by neuroscience studies that highlight their importance for integral development. We investigated how Brazilian schools incorporate this demand into their Political Pedagogical Projects (PPPs). A comprehensive bibliographic review on socio-emotional skills and guiding educational documents was conducted. Five PPPs from Brazilian schools, including public and private institutions from different states, published between 2016 and 2025, were analyzed, seeking the presence and conception of proposals for socio-emotional development. The analyzed PPPs showed a concern with the integral development of students, encompassing cognitive, affective, and social dimensions. However, they did not explicitly present the concepts of socio-emotional development or socio-affective skills in their exact terms, touching upon the theme through general educational objectives. Affective literacy was not found as an explicit proposal in any of the documents. It was concluded that schools are moving towards the effective implementation of integral formation, but they need academic deepening to expand and create new opportunities for socio-affective learning. The research contributed to the elaboration of a pathway for the construction of PPPs and a didactic sequence proposal for socio-affective literacy.

Keywords: Socio-affective literacy; Socio-emotional skills; Integral development; Neurosciences; Political Pedagogical Project.

Neuroscience And Learning In Education

October 13, 2026

Neuroeducational guide for school inclusion based on the analysis of the PPP of a Montessori school

The school inclusion of students with disabilities constitutes a guiding principle of Basic Education. The Political-Pedagogical Project (PPP) of a private school in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, was analyzed to identify convergences, gaps, and implications for teaching work related to the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the Final Years of Elementary School. The research adopted a qualitative, exploratory approach, with a case study design, using documentary analysis of the PPP, contrasted with the National Common Curricular Base, the Law of Directives and Bases of National Education, and the Brazilian Law of Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. The results indicated conceptual and normative alignment between the PPP and official regulations regarding school inclusion and valuing diversity. However, gaps were identified in the operationalization of curricular adaptation, learning organization, and systematization of guidelines for teaching work. It was found that the document did not specify systematized instruments to support the implementation of the guidelines. These findings supported the proposal of a neuroeducational guide, intended for the formative and practical support of the institution’s teachers, with the potential for adaptation to other contexts, aiming to strengthen inclusive pedagogical practices.

Keywords: Special Education; Inclusive education; Neuroeducation; Teaching practice.

Neuroscience And Learning In Education

October 13, 2026

Multiliteracies, Digital Culture and Neuroscience: teacher perceptions and implications in school pedagogical practice

This research analyzed how 9th-grade teachers of Ensino Fundamental II perceive and integrate multiliteracies, digital culture, critical literacy, and digital competencies in their pedagogical practices, considering the curricular guidelines of the National Common Curricular Base (2018) and the São Paulo Curriculum (2019), in addition to the relevance of executive functions in teaching and learning. An exploratory and descriptive approach was adopted, with a mixed methodology predominantly qualitative. Data were collected through an anonymous questionnaire applied to four teachers from private schools in São Paulo. The results indicated that the teachers demonstrated consistent conceptual knowledge about the topics, but the integration of these concepts into pedagogical practices occurred partially and non-systemically. It was observed that teachers’ continuing education for the use of digital technologies was insufficient, leading to autonomous pursuit of training. Furthermore, weaknesses were identified in students’ executive functions, such as planning, focus, and self-regulation, impacting critical literacy. It was concluded that the effective integration of digital culture and multiliteracies requires intentional work from the teacher, adequate training, consistent pedagogical planning, and attention to students’ cognitive skills, with neuroscience offering support for more conscious practices.

Keywords: Digital culture; Teacher training; Executive functions; Critical literacy; Multiliteracies.

Neuroscience And Learning In Education

October 13, 2026

Theatrical action as an active methodology for learning: convergence between neuroscience and education

This research proposed the use of theatrical action as an active learning methodology for elementary school students (grades 6-8), grounded in neuroscience, theater, and pedagogy. The study investigated the potential of theatrical practice as a pedagogical strategy to enhance the comprehension and retention of theoretical content. The objective was to structure and propose a pedagogical intervention based on the collective creation of theatrical scenes as active learning, comparing it with traditional expository teaching practices. An experimental study was conducted, with a qualitative and quantitative approach, involving fourteen 7th-grade students. Participants underwent objective and essay-based pre-tests on cerebral lobes, hippocampus, and amygdala. The control group (7 students) participated in an expository lecture, while the experimental group (7 students) created collaborative theatrical scenes. Performance and observation data were analyzed. At the end of the investigation, the experimental group demonstrated better retention of concepts and functions compared to the control group. It was concluded that theater has great potential as an active methodology for student development in the school context, and can be applied in different disciplines by mobilizing engagement, emotion, reason, and problem-solving, in addition to assisting teachers in developing lesson plans.

Keywords: active learning; student engagement; pedagogical methodology; educational neuroscience; educational theater.

Neuroscience And Learning In Education

October 13, 2026

Digital non-formal education and youth: conditions of access, use, and meaningful learning in Brazil.

The expansion of digital technologies has transformed learning processes in recent decades, but persistent inequalities in access condition the educational possibilities for Brazilian youth. The study investigated how digital access conditions can favor or limit meaningful learning (Ausubel, 1963; Moreira, 2012) in non-formal contexts. To this end, the research, of a quali-quantitative nature and descriptive-analytical approach, analyzed secondary data from the TIC Domicílios survey (Cetic.br, 2025) and institutional documents (A4AI, 2020; UNESCO, 2024). The results revealed that, although most young Brazilians access the internet, a significant portion did so exclusively via smartphone, especially in lower socioeconomic classes. The technical precariousness arising from this condition imposed an extrinsic cognitive load, which consumed working memory resources and compromised the disposition to learn and the anchoring of new knowledge, according to Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1994). It was concluded that the binary metric of connectivity is insufficient. The absence of Meaningful Connectivity (A4AI, 2020) operated as a neurocognitive barrier to learning, deepening educational inequalities and challenging the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 10 in Brazil (UN, 2015).

Keywords: Meaningful learning; Meaningful connectivity; Digital inequality; Non-formal education; Youth.