CHAOTICALLY BEAUTIFUL: EXPERIENCE OF A CLASSROOM TEAM IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS OF STUDENTS WITH AUTISM IN A REGULAR SCHOOL

Abstract

The enrollment of students with autism in mainstream schools is steadily increasing, posing an ongoing challenge for educational communities, particularly for classroom teams. This study aims to explore the experiences of a classroom team in a school in northern Chile as they work with students with autism. A qualitative methodology was employed, utilizing episodic triangular interviews with the classroom team, and the findings were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Three key categories emerged from the analysis that describe the team's experience: a) Beliefs about students on the Autism Spectrum, b) Characteristics of the classroom team's work, and c) Evaluation of their work with students on the Autism Spectrum. The study concludes that the classroom team conceptualizes autism from a deficit-oriented perspective. In their educational practice with students with autism, they identify collaborative work, communication, and support from school leadership as key facilitators. They describe their experience of working with students with autism as "chaotically beautiful," reflecting a duality of positive and negative experiences. The role of the classroom assistant emerges as a significant area for further investigation.