Characterization of studies and research on the relationship between special educational needs of deaf people and social representations based on inclusion

Abstract

<p>This research aims to present a characterization of studies carried out during 1995 and 2014 in several Ibero-American countries (Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Mexico and Spain), whose central theme was school inclusion processes, according to two fundamental categories: 1) the special educational needs of deaf people, and 2) social representations. To this effect, a multimodal or mixed-mode approach was developed. Similarly, documentary research was used as methodological support, which facilitated the classification of each study according to the most relevant centers of interest, in order to connect them with trends of great importance in this educational field. It was possible to conclude that there are three tendencies regarding inquiry processes, which correspond to anthropological, clinical, and mixed views, supported largely by qualitative approaches; similarly, it is important to recognize that research findings point towards a partial inclusion of the population in question.</p>