Abstract
This study investigates the composition of support networks and its implications for special education students, adopting as reference four municipal public education systems located in Grande Vitória metropolitan region, Espírito Santo. Its theoretical background draws on authors whose work focus on the articulation of support networks in regular schools for curricular accessibility. A qualitative mapping study was conducted with data obtained from an information survey at the Anísio Teixeira National Institute and three focus groups conducted with education professionals, between September and October 2020. Results show that: a) the enrollment of students with disabilities, pervasive developmental disorders and giftedness in the analyzed education systems drives educational policies, including the creation of support networks; b) these networks are constituted in a plural manner by means of public calls, hiring of temporary teachers and relocation of regular school faculty; c) composition of a core special education team, some of which include health professionals; d) implementation of multifunctional resource rooms; e) provision of specialized educational services, even with different conceptions. As final considerations, this study unveils the need to question philanthropy and articulate support networks to strengthen the right to access, permanence and learning with socially referenced quality for special education students.
Keywords
Special education; Support networks; Espirito Santo education systems