THE INCLUSION OF DEAF CHILDREN IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES IN BUILDING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the pedagogical practices aimed at the inclusion of deaf children in Early Childhood Education, identifying the main challenges faced by teachers and institutions in the process of building a truly inclusive education. The research assumes that inclusion goes beyond the physical insertion of deaf students in regular classrooms, requiring curricular adaptations, specialized teacher training, and the valorization of Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) as the first language of deaf children. The methodology adopted is qualitative in nature, with a bibliographic approach, based on authors such as Skliar (1997; 2015), Lacerda (2006; 2016), Quadros (1997; 2019), and Mantoan (2003), as well as current legislation, especially Law No. 10,436/2002 (LIBRAS Law), Decree No. 5,626/2005, the Brazilian Law of Inclusion (Law No. 13,146/2015), and Law No. 14,191/2021, which establishes the bilingual education modality for the deaf. The results indicate that, despite legal and political advances, significant gaps persist in teacher training, the provision of LIBRAS interpreters, and the development of pedagogical practices that respect deaf identity and culture. It is concluded that the realization of inclusion requires a collective commitment among family, school, and government, as well as a restructuring of pedagogical conceptions that still treat deafness as a deficiency to be corrected, rather than a linguistic and cultural difference to be respected.