The Academic Field of Special Education in Brazil

ABSTRACT: The objective of this work was to analyze the emergency and the development of the academic field of Special Education in Brazil. Through a qualitative research, of bibliographic and documentary type, two sets of data were collected: historical data and academic goods, allowing to structure the institutionalization of the academic field of Special Education in three distinct moments: a) Antecedent elements (from 1789 to 1962); b) Constituent elements (from 1962 to 1989); and c) Expansion of the academic field (since 1990). A relational analysis of the data indicates that Special Education is constituted as a broad and expanding academic field, but restricted to the size of the country. The characterization of Special Education as academic field made the systematization of a set of institutionalization bodies responsible for the production and dissemination of diverse academic goods that contribute significantly to its consolidation process possible. It is expected that agents in the academic field will act in the fight against invisibility and historical contempt for people with disabilities, for a Special Inclusive Education within the scope of a free quality public education.