Resumo

FREITAS, Marcos Cezar de. The Target Group of Special Education Confronted by Economy of Autism. Rev. bras. educ. espec. [online]. 2025, vol.31, e0326.  Epub 16-Out-2025. ISSN 1980-5470.  https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-54702025v31e0326.

This article analyzes situations in which the enrollment of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Specialized Educational Services (SES) prompted expressions from family members in favor of incorporating principles of behavioral analysis into the routines planned for the Special Education Target Group. It also examines the teachers’ search for arguments in defense of the pedagogical nature of SES, as they followed the development of Opinion no. 50, dated December 5, 2023, issued by the Brazilian National Education Council, with the expectation of finding conceptual foundations to counter these challenges. Methodologically, based on ethnographic research, excerpts from statements recorded in a field notebook were used to present arguments from both sides. The research underlying this article was carried out in public schools in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and in a neighboring municipality within its metropolitan region. Theoretically, the category of the “autism economy,” as proposed by Grinker (2019), is employed to explain contradictions in the increasingly widespread questioning process, and Boyer’s (2008) anthropology of experts is used to reveal the dynamics of information exchange between family members and teachers. In conclusion, the article indicates that SES has been destabilized by this autism economy, which confronts the principles structuring the Special Education Target Group by evoking the singularity of ASD.

Palavras-chave : Autism; Special Education; Expertise; Inclusive education.

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