Pedagogical strategies for children with intellectual disabilities in early childhood education

Abstract

The history of special education in Brazil is marked by the transition from a segregational and welfare-based model to a perspective of full school inclusion, grounded in Human Rights and the 1988 Federal Constitution. This new scenario requires regular schools to reorganize their practices to offer Specialized Educational Services and Individual Development Plans, ensuring that the pedagogical focus overcomes clinical limitations and prioritizes the development of human potential. Faced with a history of negligence, it is imperative that the school environment acts as the main agent of social transformation for children who have significant cognitive limitations. Based on these premises, this paper aims to analyze the pedagogical strategies used to favor the learning and autonomy of children with intellectual disabilities in the context of early childhood education. The methodology consisted of a qualitative narrative bibliographic review, based on Vygotsky’s socio-historical perspective, focusing on the concepts of mediation and the Zone of Proximal Development. The research included current legislation, such as the LDB and the Brazilian Inclusion Law, and scientific articles published between 2022 and 2026. The results indicate that playfulness, musicality, and gamification are indispensable strategies, as they stimulate attention, sensory perception, and socialization. Furthermore, alternative communication and the adaptation of concrete materials function as cultural prostheses that facilitate access to knowledge. It is concluded that effective inclusion depends on technical and affectionate mediation that recognizes the student as na active subject. By transforming the educational environment into a laboratory of playful innovations, the school fulfills its role of promoting autonomy and human dignity.