ANALYSIS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.51572132624066

• Palavras-chave: Executive Functions. Autism Spectrum Disorder. Early Childhood Education.

• Keywords: Executive Functions. Autism Spectrum Disorder. Early Childhood Education.

• Abstract:

  Executive functions (EF) are responsible for our cognitive abilities and include the capacity to control thoughts, actions, and emotions; executive functions may also be referred to as cognitive and executive control, referring to the top-down Mental Systems that are essential for concentration. They begin to develop in early childhood and are extremely important for a child’s intellectual development. However, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit delays in executive functions, particularly in inhibitory control—that is, the ability to self-regulate their own actions and emotions. Therefore, the objective of this article was to analyze the level of executive function (EF) development in preschoolers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to examine how early childhood educators have been addressing these functions in children with ASD, based on the hypothesis that certain cognitive abilities involved in executive functions are impaired and that professionals in the field do not adequately stimulate these functions. Data were collected using a game designed by the authors, which assessed impairments in the students’ executive functions. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with early childhood educators at the partner institution to identify how these educators have been addressing executive functions in children with ASD. Based on the results of the activities administered to the four students with ASD, it was possible to confirm that, although impairments in executive functions exist among students with ASD, not all of them exhibit the same executive dysfunctions.