Examining, framing, adapting the curriculum and developing sign language: strategies to normalize deaf students with Down syndrome in a deaf school

Abstract

From the understanding that modern school education is always normalizing, this paper problematizes strategies meant to normalize deaf subjects with Down syndrome in a deaf school. The research was carried out through the analysis of both evaluation and clinical reports, and interviews with teachers that work with those students. As analytical tools, we used the notions of norm and normalization, from Michel Foucault’s theorizations. The recurrences found in the materials allowed for the constitution of the following analysis units: (1) Clinical reports: examination and framing of subjects, (2) Curriculum adaptation as a normalization strategy, and (3) Linguistic normalization: management of non-learning risk. Such recurrences enabled us to assume that in/exclusion processes similar to those seen in regular schools also occur in the deaf school when subjects deviating from the established norm become part of it.