Contributions from Behavior Analysis to Special Education in Brazilian journals from 2008 to 2018

Abstract

The relationship between Behavior Analysis and Special Education is evidenced by books, published papers, and research program developed by international and national researchers. However, the majority of literature and systematic reviews focuses in Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) research. In this context, the study objective was to verify Behavior Analysis principles impact on interventions with individuals who belong to the Special Education public using a systematic review of empirical articles produced in Brazilian journals between 2008 and 2018. The method consisted of searching national Behavior Analysis journals with key terms, reading the title and abstract for exclusion and inclusion of papers, storage of papers included and complete reading of the text for qualitative and quantitative analysis. Results present 39 papers, being 18 papers on deafness / hearing impairment, 18 on ASD and three on intellectual disability. Experimental methods prevail in literature and presenting data about the subject as its own control. Studies on deafness present two distinct groups: individuals with cochlear implant and individuals who use sign language. Studies on ASD have shown an increase over the years and an emphasis on parents as the child's educating intervener. Thus, Behavior Analysis researchers have specialized in audiences such as individuals with hearing impairment and with ASD, but there is a lack in the field with other audiences, such as deafblind and high skills / gifted individuals. This analysis is important for future research in the area.