Report and Diagnosis as Devices of School (Ex)inclusion: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic review article analyzed scientific production and research on school practices that make use of reports and diagnoses in the context of school inclusion in Brazil, in the period from 2009 to 2019, aiming to access the contingencies of this use as a device of (ex)inclusion. To this end, a search was conducted in the CAPES Portal Periódicos, using the descriptors "diagnosis" and "special education", "diagnosis" and "school inclusion", "report" and "special education" and "report" and "school inclusion", which resulted in 261 articles submitted to Peer Review. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, a final sample of 13 articles was obtained, published in 8 journals, with predominance of the South and Midwest regions, and balance between theoretical and empirical studies. In general, the studies present two types of positions regarding the use of reports and diagnoses in inclusion practices: they recognize pathologizing and limiting effects; but they also identify situations in which reports and diagnoses are necessary. The practices discussed give clues that inclusion as education for all is still a challenge to educators and researchers in the field.