BEING-IN-THE-WORLD AFTER THE PANDEMIC: THE CASE OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. G-ESDM INSIGHTS FOR CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN ECEC EDUCATIONAL CONTEXTS

Designing inclusive curricula in the Italian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system (0-3 years) may be an intricate task, especially when taking children with Autism Spectrum Disorder into account. Educators are requested to connect nationally and internationally shared (European Commission, 2014; MIUR, 2012; OCSE PISA, 2009) pedagogical orientations to evidence-based strategies that address children’s individual educational needs at this early age. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about new challenges for this educational setting that not only supports parents in guaranteeing a safe environment for their children but has proven to be beneficial for the children’s holistic development. Furthermore, they should also consider the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the intensity of ASD symptoms due to a lack of embedded learning opportunities offered by inclusive classrooms. To address this purpose, this paper aims at exploring the feasibility of the Group-based Early Start Denver Model to design ECEC curricula that may support the establishment of a routine within the educational context.