Inclusion of children with special healthcare needs at school: teachers’ perspective

Objective: to understand the perception of teachers from the municipal education network regarding the inclusion of children with special healthcare needs in the school context. Method: qualitative research carried out through semi-structured interviews with 22 teachers from nine public schools in southern Brazil between November and December 2023. The selection strategy was conducted by educational clusters, schools were selected by probabilistic sampling and participants by convenience. The data were submitted to inductive thematic analysis. Results: teachers reported a feeling of frustration and overload due to the lack of continued training to assist in the process of including children with special healthcare needs in the school environment. Strategies included playful activities and planning in partnership with special educators. They cited the nursing professional as a facilitator for the inclusion process. Conclusion: in the teachers’ perception, there are difficulties related to the child, the training process, institutional aspects and infrastructure to enable inclusion. They suggest bringing the education and health sectors closer together so that teachers feel safe to carry out their activities.