The inclusion of a student with trisomy 21 in the 2nd cycle of basic education, a peer perception: a case study

This study aims to evaluate the perception of students in a class of 2nd cycle of basic education about the inclusion of a colleague with Trisomy 21. It is intended to verify if the students believe they can gain anything by having a colleague with Trisomy 21 frequenting the same class, to find out how it handles the relationship between peers and to know their opinion about what teachers do to help a colleague with Trisomy 21, in the context of the classroom. The type of study was the exploratory approach using the semi-structured interview, the sociometric tests, and the game The Friends Tree.The sample for this study was 17 pupils in a class of the 2nd cycle of basic education, aged between 10 and 12 years. The pupil with Trisomy 21 is 11 years old. The collected data through interviews were subjected to content analysis, in which it was found that most pupils reveal a positive perception towards the inclusion of the colleague with Trisomy 21 in his class. Also, the sociometric tests data showed, in general, that the pupil with Trisomy 21 is also chosen for certain activities by their peers, although to a lesser frequency. Regarding the results of the game The Friends Tree, we came to the conclusion that the pupil with Trisomy 21 was considered a very special friend for a couple of males. There were other boys who considered him a special friend, although it wasn´t in the first option.