Lack of materials in the teaching of english and its impact in an inclusive public high school classroom

Abstract

This document aims to document the reader about the concept of autism, its evolution, characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment. Also, it presents the materials as a fundamental pillar in the teaching-learning process of a foreign language at a general level and even more in inclusive environments. Likewise, it illustrates that materials need different educational strategies and methodologies to be implemented in the classroom. The study was carried out with 40 seventh-grade teenagers from the Silveria Espinosa de Rendón I.E.D. Thirty-seven of them were neurotypical and three were on the autism spectrum. The participants were in an age range of 12 to 14 years and had an A2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). The intervention had three stages. The first consisted of conducting the participatory observation. After this, micro-activities were developed aimed at reinforcing the topics worked on in the English class, each one of them was applied in the corresponding sessions for a month. Finally, and working jointly with the teaching staff and the psychology department, an adaptation of the 7th-grade curriculum was adapted in the English language area, considering the functional educational needs of the population, as well as the design, adaptation, and addition of varied materials, activities, and educational strategies. The adaptation and implementation were carried out with the purpose that all students achieved the objectives proposed for the course and that the contents were accessible to all. These adaptations will be executed on a large scale in the near future with the other grades and areas considering the requirements of each of the them.