Educational paradigms and classroom design for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

The fundamental purpose of this article is to analyze and problematize the tensions between two of the major paradigms of education: positivism and constructivism. The aim is to establish a solid epistemological foundation for designing school environments that foster meaningful learning for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in El Salvador, from the earliest years of education, such as preschool, through high school. A paradigm is understood not only as a methodological choice but also as a basic system of beliefs that defines the nature of reality; this is known as ontology, and the relationship between the subject and knowledge is epistemology. The central debate of this text revolves around how these perspectives have historically shaped not only the curriculum and assessment but also the materiality of the physical school space, which is never neutral. The analysis first examines the positivist paradigm, based on a naive realism and an objectivist dualism that conceives of teaching as a banking model of education. Under this approach, the teacher is a transmitter of immutable truths and the student a passive receiver, which has led to one-dimensional control structures that limit movement and social interaction.